Erik Christensen will get the opportunity to revive his NHL career in Minnesota after being traded to the Wild by the Rangers on Friday for 24-year-old forward Casey Wellman, who was immediately assigned to the AHL Whale.
The move opens a Rangers roster spot for the return of defenseman Steve Eminger, who is set to come off injured reserve after having missed the past 19 games with a separated shoulder he sustained in Phoenix on Dec. 17.
Though Eminger said he believes he is “very close,” coach John Tortorella said he has gotten a “yes” from trainer Jim Ramsay on his availability for Sunday afternoon’s Atlantic Division showdown against Philadelphia.
Tortorella, however, said he has not decided whether Eminger will rejoin the lineup for the match. The first-place Rangers have a three-point lead with a game in hand over the Flyers, who will be at home to face the Devils on Saturday afternoon.
Christensen had not played for the Rangers since Dec. 17. Including a pre-All Star conditioning stint in Connecticut, Christensen played in four of the Rangers’ past 34 matches dating to Nov. 23. He recorded five points (1-4) in 20 games of limited ice, averaging 8:07 per game as a fourth-liner and part-time power-play participant.
Wellman, a California native who signed with the Wild two years ago out of UMass-Amherst, has recorded 35 points (14-21) in 42 games for the Wild’s AHL Houston affiliate. The right-hand shooter, who can play both the middle and on the wing, has six points (2-4) in 27 career NHL games including two (1-1) in 15 this year.
“Erik is a great guy who had some opportunities here and now gets an opportunity somewhere else,” Tortorella said of 28-year-old Christensen, who played a substantial number of games as the Rangers first-line center in his first two years with the club after being claimed off waivers on Dec. 2, 2009. “I wish nothing but the best for him.
“I don’t know anything about Wellman but [assistant GM Jim Schoenfeld] said that he’s a hard working guy who has some skill.”