Redden possibly being waived

This is another one from Garrioch. Apparently the Rangers are considering burying Redden's contract in the AHL. Could you imagine Redden's reaction. Last summer he signs a huge deal that should see him through his career. If he gets placed permanently in the minors he will have the spend the rest of his career getting filthy rich while plaging with boys. His true character will reveal itself. It's amazing to think that he could become a victim of his own (agent's ?) greed. By signing a contract that is far too much for a player of his calibre, he may have bid himself out of the NHL because the Rangers can't afford to pay him (cap-wise) and no other team in their right mind would touch him. I'm surprised the Rangers didn't try and make him part of a deal that sent Avery out of Dallas. This could also be a risky move for New York as UFAs could be scared off from joining an organization that has no problem burying $6.5 million a year in the minors for 5 years.

http://www.ottawasun.com/sports/hockey/2009/06/05/9682771-sun.html

Being curious about this, I read Garrioch's piece..."There is talk the Rangers might waive D Wade Redden at the start of next season and send him to the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack to get his $6.5-million salary off the books."

Is this for real, or another one of Bruce's donut holes masquerading as 'insider info'?

Unbelievable ... and, yet, so predictable.

I wonder if they are sending up smoke-signals to shock Wade into re-thinking his philosophy on playing. Anyone see him on Road Hockey Rumble? They were playing in his home town and asked him to join in, he scored something like 6 goals. The NHL ain't Road Hockey, Wade!

Even an organization like the Rangers, $6.5M for another 5 years is a lot of money. Of course they could set up a web site -- KeepWadeInTheAHL.com -- and collect money from fans and sponsors to keep him playing there.

Yeah, I know I sound harsh, and since I was never a Redden fan or supporter it's easier for me. But this guy signed a long-term, high-end contract, and is not willing to play up to it. Or, if this is the best he *can* do for whatever reason (i.e. he is playing at as high a level as he currently is capable of playing), then he would have known this last year, before he signed, and should have never signed for this much.

Can you blame a guy for signing a huge contract? Can you say, "Well, if someone gives you that much money, would you not take it?" I suppose, just like in Gerber's case. But at least Gerber was coming off a 38 win season, perhaps he *thought* he could do this on a regular basis and be a #1 starter. In Wade's case, he has sucked for three years. Also, for Gerber, that was his first big contract, and it was about half of Redden's.

Bottom line, I strongly feel that a man with integrity, who has been playing like a sub-average player for three years, while collecting a superstar salary, should not have signed the same (but twice as long) contract.

I'm still hoping that this can be somehow worked out. Maybe he starts playing well-enough that they could get someone to pick him up on re-entry waivers for half price? Or a change of scenery trade where teams are exchanging contracts (hard to find a similar contract, though). I'm still pulling for Redden to man up and play the way he is paid; if not, he really should consider retirement.

That is a LOT of money to bury in the minors. Wow. I can't see Dolan and co being happy about that much money being wasted. Perhaps they'll send him down for a "get your Donkey in gear" stint and then bring him up?

You can't blame Redden for the contract, that's all on Sather.

I'll be shocked if they do waive him and keep him in the AHL for the rest of his contract.

Since day 1 of this signing, I have been assuming that NYR would have to buy the contract out after 2 or 3 years, at which point it becomes a little more affordable to do so -- about $3.25 mil / yr over 6 or 8 years. Which is still a big ouchie, I admit.

I simply didn't think anyone would try to bury $30+ mil in the AHL. It takes very deep pockets indeed to to so.

Anyway, the whole thing is an embarrassment, for the team and for Redden. It's true, you can't blame for sitting around and picking up $40 mil... but if he had any self-respect, he'd just retire and save everyone the embarrassment. That seems like the only honourable way out for him at this point.

rooneypoo wrote:Since day 1 of this signing, I have been assuming that NYR would have to buy the contract out after 2 or 3 years, at which point it becomes a little more affordable to do so -- about $3.25 mil / yr over 6 or 8 years. Which is still a big ouchie, I admit.

I simply didn't think anyone would try to bury $30+ mil in the AHL. It takes very deep pockets indeed to to so.

Anyway, the whole thing is an embarrassment, for the team and for Redden. It's true, you can't blame for sitting around and picking up $40 mil... but if he had any self-respect, he'd just retire and save everyone the embarrassment. That seems like the only honourable way out for him at this point.

I see it differently. If I was Redden, I'd collect every last penny of that $35+ million owed him from that Dung Sather just to spite him. Sure, he might not do the next five years in the AHL, but then again, I'm not sure even the Rangers and their ownership group are dumb enough to pay a guy that much money to play in the minors.

Either way, in this scenario, Sather ultimately looks like the classless idiot who doesn't know how to run a professional sports franchise.

The Name Dropper also said this long before the playoffs began. I think it's for real.

I guess New Yorkers aren't as big on being a "steadying influence" and "good in the community" as we are in Ottawa.

PKC wrote:
I see it differently. If I was Redden, I'd collect every last penny of that $35+ million owed him from that Dung Sather just to spite him. Sure, he might not do the next five years in the AHL, but then again, I'm not sure even the Rangers and their ownership group are dumb enough to pay a guy that much money to play in the minors.

Either way, in this scenario, Sather ultimately looks like the classless idiot who doesn't know how to run a professional sports franchise.

See, that there, in bold, is the key. An honorable man does not do things just out of spite. Now, if he took all that money and donated it to charity then, at least, he would be doing it for a noble reason. Lining your pockets is not reasonable. There are a lot more people at stake here than just Sather.

rooneypoo wrote:Since day 1 of this signing, I have been assuming that NYR would have to buy the contract out after 2 or 3 years, at which point it becomes a little more affordable to do so -- about $3.25 mil / yr over 6 or 8 years. Which is still a big ouchie, I admit.

I simply didn't think anyone would try to bury $30+ mil in the AHL. It takes very deep pockets indeed to to so.

Anyway, the whole thing is an embarrassment, for the team and for Redden. It's true, you can't blame for sitting around and picking up $40 mil... but if he had any self-respect, he'd just retire and save everyone the embarrassment. That seems like the only honourable way out for him at this point.

My self respect is worth way less than 30 million. Prob around the 5 mil range... maybe not even that.

Redden has no self-respect or would have never soaked Ottawa the way he did and made a gracious exit when Murray asked him to leave.

He loves money just as much as the next guy. The "aw shucks" "hometown" image that was built up in Ottawa can only get you so far. I've seen through this charlatan for years already.

shabbs wrote:That is a LOT of money to bury in the minors. Wow. I can't see Dolan and co being happy about that much money being wasted. Perhaps they'll send him down for a "get your Donkey in gear" stint and then bring him up?

You can't blame Redden for the contract, that's all on Sather.

I'll be shocked if they do waive him and keep him in the AHL for the rest of his contract.

Not really blame, but someone with integrity would not feel good about it. I mean, he's set for life from his last contract -- $13M for 2 years, to say nothing of his past earnings and the pension he'll receive when he retires.

Neely4Life wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:Since day 1 of this signing, I have been assuming that NYR would have to buy the contract out after 2 or 3 years, at which point it becomes a little more affordable to do so -- about $3.25 mil / yr over 6 or 8 years. Which is still a big ouchie, I admit.

I simply didn't think anyone would try to bury $30+ mil in the AHL. It takes very deep pockets indeed to to so.

Anyway, the whole thing is an embarrassment, for the team and for Redden. It's true, you can't blame for sitting around and picking up $40 mil... but if he had any self-respect, he'd just retire and save everyone the embarrassment. That seems like the only honourable way out for him at this point.

My self respect is worth way less than 30 million. Prob around the 5 mil range... maybe not even that.

I, personally, don't know if I could handle waking up everyday and going to work knowing that I'm perceived by my co-workers and my bosses and the fans as an anchor on the team, the guy who's taking up valuable space and standing in the way of a shot at a cup.

It's one thing to talk about 'oh, I'd take the money, be damned', but Redden has to live that Dung everyday. If it were me, I'd be doing to math on precisely how much money I need to live the life I want, and then retire the day after I hit that goal, for my sanity and self-respect, even if it meant leaving money on the table.

That's just me, tho'. The thought of being a laughing stock to a generation of hockey fans would certainly give me pause. I don't blame Redden if he toughs it out and collects the full contract. If he does, he'll certainly have earned the money, at any rate -- albeit, in exchange for something other than his serves on the ice. I'd rather be a $20 mil wash-up who people will, mercifully, forget about than a $40 mil joke told at every hockey game for the next 20 years.

I agree with that whole heartedly, I would take 20 million to go away rather then 30 to work... haha, who wouldnt? Especially if you're disliked by everyone.

wprager wrote:Unbelievable ... and, yet, so predictable.

I wonder if they are sending up smoke-signals to shock Wade into re-thinking his philosophy on playing. Anyone see him on Road Hockey Rumble? They were playing in his home town and asked him to join in, he scored something like 6 goals. The NHL ain't Road Hockey, Wade!

Even an organization like the Rangers, $6.5M for another 5 years is a lot of money. Of course they could set up a web site -- KeepWadeInTheAHL.com -- and collect money from fans and sponsors to keep him playing there.

Yeah, I know I sound harsh, and since I was never a Redden fan or supporter it's easier for me. But this guy signed a long-term, high-end contract, and is not willing to play up to it. Or, if this is the best he *can* do for whatever reason (i.e. he is playing at as high a level as he currently is capable of playing), then he would have known this last year, before he signed, and should have never signed for this much.

Can you blame a guy for signing a huge contract? Can you say, "Well, if someone gives you that much money, would you not take it?" I suppose, just like in Gerber's case. But at least Gerber was coming off a 38 win season, perhaps he *thought* he could do this on a regular basis and be a #1 starter. In Wade's case, he has sucked for three years. Also, for Gerber, that was his first big contract, and it was about half of Redden's.

Bottom line, I strongly feel that a man with integrity, who has been playing like a sub-average player for three years, while collecting a superstar salary, should not have signed the same (but twice as long) contract.

I'm still hoping that this can be somehow worked out. Maybe he starts playing well-enough that they could get someone to pick him up on re-entry waivers for half price? Or a change of scenery trade where teams are exchanging contracts (hard to find a similar contract, though). I'm still pulling for Redden to man up and play the way he is paid; if not, he really should consider retirement.

ideally, everbody saves faces here and they do whatever it takes for him to get back to his play that earned him 6M a year when in Ottawa.

- Pair him with a 1# Dman ( no clue who he played with this year )
- give him all the powerplay time he can get, pad his stats
- Make sure he's training like a banshee this offseason

Other than that, there's not a whole lots of options available as i don't see 30M in the minors being acceptable when he's still got a bunch left in the tank....

oh, and THANK GOD we didn't re-sign him! Even for 4M per, it would've been too much!

rooneypoo wrote:
Anyway, the whole thing is an embarrassment, for the team and for Redden. It's true, you can't blame for sitting around and picking up $40 mil... but if he had any self-respect, he'd just retire and save everyone the embarrassment. That seems like the only honourable way out for him at this point.

No way would I do that if I were Redden. You offered 6.5 million dollars and I accepted. The Rangers (Sather) are the idiots here. Anyone who didn't see that at the time didn't know Redden like we did. It was one of those 'what the Diddle just happened?' moments that I won't soon forget.

The only embarrassment here is on Sather IMO. And I believe if he floats this idea for real, he should be relieved of duty.

Now...are the Rangers threatening this so Redden will waive his NTC? That's the flip side. Waive your NTC, or we'll waive you. I can't imagine another team willing to absorb the 6.5 million, but there might be a team out there who has a bum contract that might think about swapping. Can't think of anyone off the top of my head, but there are craptastic contracts out there where the Rangers might find a partner.

It'll take Redden + something substantial to take back a bum contract. Like Dubinsky. That kind of substantial.

Boneheads.