The Columbus Blue Jackets wasted little time in replacing winger Nikolai Zherdev, whom they deal t to the NY Rangers earlier today.

It was reported Wednesday evening the Jackets had signed former Calgary Flames winger Kristian Huselius to a four-year contract worth $4.75 million per season.

Jackets GM Scott Howson needed to bring in a more experienced winger for his first line and Huselius certainly has that, posting up 77 and 66 points respectively in the last two seasons.

While Huselius has scored more than the departed Zherdev over the last two years he no less an enigma who seems to score more in the first half of the season than in the second, disappears in the playoffs, doesn't like the rough going nor being leaned on by a demanding coach.

Huselius twice wilted under Mike Keenan's iron hand in Florida and Calgary and he won't face any less pressure in the demanding Ken Hitchcock.

Howson is also taking a heck of a risk committing $4.75 million per season to Huselius, considering he only made $1.4 million last season, but in this summer's wild spending on free agents that's what it took to get him to Columbus.