Fritsche's Out, Modin is In, and Berard in limbo

Jackets winger Dan Fritsche is in rough shape following an incident on Sunday night. Just a few minutes into the second period, #49 took a slash- and not the kind that yields two minutes. While digging for the puck in a corner, a skate slashed Fritsche's wrist, which immediately bled profusely. Fritsche quickly made his way off the ice, into the locker room, then to Grant Medical Center.

Aaron Portzline's report in today's Dispatch tells of Fritche's tendon-severing cut and his two hours of surgery. The wrist and hand is expected to recover fully, but it will be some three weeks or longer before Fritsche returns to the ice.

In other news, Modin has been officially re-signed to a three year deal. #33 will be paid $2.75 mil for next season, then $3.25 million for the next two seasons plus a $250,000 bonus for each of those seasons. The contract does include a no-trade clause, so Modin is pretty much assured to be around for a while, whether you think the Jackets are overpaying or not. Modin has 15 goals for 30 points this season, a -2 rating (+9 career) and 42 penalty minutes.

Brian Berard is being shopped around for anything the Jackets can get. According to a Dispatch article, MacLean is putting Berard up for sale via fax machine- just like those lunch specials we used to get everyday at my old job. There's less than three hours left until the deadline, and the CBJ front office will take anything for him. Wouldn't surprise me if they sent MacLean an Applebees gift card or a pair of socks for the defenseman... But wouldn't that be better than 'future considerations'? After all, they make pretty good quesadillas at Applebees.