Saying Goodbye...

The Rangers have officially said goodbye to agitator Sean Avery. After being the catalyst for the Blueshirts over the past two seasons, Avery leaves Broadway for Dallas - 4 years, $16 million. He got the deal he wanted, and apparently the Rangers are fine with his departure.

Also on Wednesday, the Rangers made a trade with Columbus, sending defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman to the Blue Jackets for Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fristche. The deal helps boost the Rangers aging offense while clearing some salary cap space.

Tyutin never quite lived up to expectations on Broadway, but has developed into a solid defenseman who plays well in his own zone and can hold his own on offense. Backman was a trade deadline pickup last season, performing well while with New York.

The Rangers bring in two young, up-and-coming talents in Zherdev and Fristche. Both are quick forwards with good hands, great vision, and the ability to explode for great seasons. The Rangers are hoping that they will blossom into the players they have always been expected to become.

The move will allow younger Rangers defenseman to compete for roster spots - specifically Ivan Baranka, Bobby Sanguinetti, and Michael Sauer. Combining with Wade Redden, Michal Roszival, Dan Girardi, and Marc Staal, the Rangers could boast one of the best defensive units in the League.

With Hossa off the board and Avery signing with Dallas, Sather addressed a glaring need with a relatively low risk-high reward move. Jagr remains unsigned with any team, and the possibility remains that he returns to New York. Shanahan is also unsigned, though it's likely he'll play again for the Rangesr. The Rangers have an offer on the table for Mats Sundin, though it is doubtful that he turns down the $20 million deal from Vancouver.

For now, Sather seems to have made the right moves to put the Rangers back in the hunt for the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. Though there's still work to be done, the Rangers are better off now than they were 24 hours ago. Let's see what happens next.