Could Redden Be A Habs Blueline Solution?

by Robert L on Jun 6, 2009 3:11 AM EDT Comment 15 comments

"Oh my God, he's lost his fricking mind!"

I heard you out loud, upon reading the title of this piece. And yeah, I had to doublecheck my wiring.

I'll cut straight to the chase - there is a rumour (I know, I know) making the rounds that makes all kinds of sense, that the New York Rangers are about to buy out the remaining four seasons of Wade Redden's contract (32.8 over 5 yrs) signed last summer, that raised just about three eyebrows on every face when it was announced.

It was a nutball of a deal that leaves the Rangers on the hook for 24.8 million over the next for seasons, and Redden turns 32 in about a week.

If the tight against the cap Blueshirts want to move forward, buying out Redden, who will take up 6.2 million in each of the next four seasons, is a no - brainer for even a decapitated thinker.

Yes, Redden has looked horrible the past three seasons, but the talent and skill that made him a second choice overall 14 summers ago and a Stanley Cup finalist three seasons back, can't all have disappeared, could it?

Redden had his best years under new Habs coach Jacques Martin. If the Ranger buyout does go through, Redden may just prosper once more in Martin's restrictive system. For the Canadiens, in that scenario, the price could be cheap and the dividends large. It's a gamble worth considering.

The former Senators blueliner, offers an interesting package. He has considerable puck movement skills, skates fluidly, has the size for the position, and brings a wealth of experience. Where he is lacking is in the bark and bite department. He gets into all kinds of trouble when attempting to do too much. If anyone knows how to coach him and get the best out of him, it's Jacques Martin.

Should Redden be willing to accept a two year contract in the neighborhood of 2.5 million per season, Montreal should consider him, as he just might pair up well with Andrei Markov on the PP or with Roman Hamrlik on a regular shift.

It might all rest on whether the Canadiens can retain Mike Komisarek, or become a player in signing UFA's such as Jay Bowmeester or Francois Beauchemin. Montreal are in a position, cap wise, to build a club around Martin's strengths as a coach.

Should the Canadiens start the 2009-10 season with a top four of Markov, Beauchemin, Hamrlik and Redden, would you be comfortable with that?

It is of course, only one speculative scenario, that leaves room for many other options.

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Redden

yes we are prepared to say good bye (or already have) to Komisarek because he may want in the range of $5 million but we’re OK with Hamrlik at $5.5 and would consider Redden ??

this move, if it came to pass would be as freaking stupid as the Roy trade, the Chelios trade and making Tremblay head coach with zero experience

Robert you are close enough to Ottawa to have heard all the rumours of why his considerable skills eroded to basically ZERO. they no longer exist. that was evident both in Ottawa and NY and do you really want that influence in the room with the hopefully reformed K brothers and Price ?

A million times no thank you ! not even with a WADA certificate of cleanliness…think back to the Brian Fogherty experiment under Demers, how did that work out ? let someone else try the reclamation project…perhaps he can rejoin his Party Posse buddy Emery in Philly….Habs have enough issues already.. no thank you not even at minimum wage

by pfhabs on Jun 6, 2009 10:32 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Fogerty and Redden have zero in common other than talent.

I don’t base my thinking on nonsense rumours like you seem to, I tend to go with straight fact, such as how well the player was under Martin, his exempliary behavior within the Ottawa community via countless charity efforts, how Zdeno Chara grew into a complete player while playing alongside him, and his selection and performance while a member of team Canada 2002.

When Redden has been surrounded by stability he has been a sound asset. Playing under the scapegoat realm of Bryan Murray in Ottawa lessened his contribution and affected his concentration. In Ottawa, he endured the long illness and eventual passing of his mother while having to put up with a GM attempting to trade him (twice) only months after awarding him a no trade contract.

by Robert L on Jun 6, 2009 12:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rumour

yes everything is a rumour…continue to believe that if you wish….BTW how has he done in NY where hockey is behind 2 football teams, 2 baseball teams and the Knicks….no pressure to perform and he delivered non-performances in spades. another overpaid soft D man is the cure to the defensive woes…good luck….as for the pressure from Ottawa fans and media it was not even close to that presented by the Canadiens’ mob of scribes…I’d go in another direction

as for Boulion assuming he’s healthy; he can skate, makes excellent passes and plays 6" & 40 lbs over his actual height/weight…I’d keep him as the 7th guy…outside of Komisarek (whom according to B. Garrioch/Ottawa Sun is looking for $4.5-5.0) Frankie was the only physical force on the backend

by pfhabs on Jun 8, 2009 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Redden

I would still hold out hope that Komisarek can be signed at a decent price. His year reminds me in some ways of Larry Robinson in the early 80s. The rest of the big 3 were gone, but the expectations were not. Robinson was accused of poor performance, possibly trying to do too much and accomplishing little. Not so amzingly, when the likes of Chelios, Ludwig and a healthy Green came into the mix, Robinson was suddenly the valued performer we were used to seeing.

Under some type of a system that Martin implements, we may see the Komisarek we saw prior to this last season. Could the injuries, all star berth and lack of a system to play in have conspired against Komisarek? I just hope he and his agent don’t do a money grab. I like your top 4 if you swap Komisarek for Redden. Gorges and Emelin would be a nice way to start the season as a 5-6 combo.

by David K in SA on Jun 6, 2009 1:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It’s difficult to assess Komisarek as I feel he played injured for most of the season. He looked like his regular self for maybe 20 games all season. Montreal has to be very careful not to overpay, as there are many other solutions that are available. I don’t particularly like a Komisarek Redden tradeoff, but I think every team needs 3 experienced defensemen to start.

by Robert L on Jun 6, 2009 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Top 4

In my opinion, the suggested top 4 of Markov, Beauchemin, Hamrlik and Redden would not help the Habs. I think the Has need some toughness and meanness in their d-corp. Except for Beauchemin, the other 3 d-men are soft eventhough they are capable. I think they need someone like Gleason or Stewart and I would love to see Shave Weber (never mind Jay Bowmeester) but sadly he is not available. To me, both Redden and Beauchemin had reach their max and are on the decline. Also, they need someone with a booming shot at the point for their PP and I am not sure if Yannick Weber has it in him.

by EDML on Jun 6, 2009 2:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Weber has the shot, he just has to develop the poise to play the role. Weber brings to mind for me, a young Matt Schneider when he played for Cornwall in the late 1980’s. You could see the full package, but the size allowed for some questions marks. It still baffles me some how quickly Schneider became a Canadiens regular, because in junior it was clear he’d need a great deal of work. Evidently, Schneider grew into the role with confidence, because by 1993, his game was complete. It was said back then that Schneider had some of the Chelios bulldog in him. That may be a side that Weber will need to work on to become a regular.

by Robert L on Jun 6, 2009 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

JayBo

JayBo is the best available defenseman right now. No way is Komisarek worth $5 or $6 million a year. No team should pay a shot blocker that kind of money. He struggles in other parts of the game, like making a first pass out of the zone and he lacks in offensive skills. Redden could be a good be a good fit if he agrees to a pay cut. His experience and puck moving skills would be an asset.

by bolder on Jun 6, 2009 3:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Defensemen are difficult to assess a proper price to come free agency. The value versus the cost gets skewered at times. I’d bet that the Blackhawks aren’t thrilled to have paid so much for Brian Campbell.

by Robert L on Jun 6, 2009 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’d have to decline on Redden.
All that has already been said describes it all. He was good under Martin, he’s had 3 mediocre seasons in the Big Apple, he’s up there in age, he has playoff experience, when surrounded by a solid corp he does well. But anyone could be him. Take a D stick him in Detroit. Good system, good coaching, lots of offencive opportunities. The Habs aren’t Detroit.

I like the idea of Beauchemin. On a couple of levels. We could let go of Boullion, and retain another French D. To quiet the media and fans who believe it makes a difference where our players come from. 2 Russians have done well to be our #1 Scorer for 2 seasons in a row. I really don’t know when the last French Canadian forward was the best at their position, or even highest scorer in Montreal… not in the last 15 yrs. For my 28 yrs of being a fan, it hasn’t mattered the last name of our most productive offensive player.

I think there ought to be some moving on of players. I don’t like the 4 you mentioned as I think Hamrlik should move on. I know its about the money but think he can be part of a deal as he has good assets.. just aging a little for this youthful team. Brisebois, dandenault and Boullion also should not be retained. There are plenty of deep younger players we have on the farm or can pick up in free agency. I would rather see changes to the D than the forwards, although, there needs to be change, I feel Martin can instill this group with 2 way thinking thus decrease the need of bringing in players.

by Cruisin4aBruisin on Jun 6, 2009 8:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

skates fluidly

If the fluid is molasses, maybe. I don’t know what happened to Redden’s mobility, but it ain’t there anymore and has been gone for a few years.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Jun 8, 2009 12:11 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I see it as him being a nervous and insecure player whose every step has seemed hesitant and tentative for the past three years. Komisarek was his clone this year, often attenpting to do too much to justify a stature he is trying to achieve. In Redden’s case, I think the composure could be rediscovered under Martin, but my bigger question would be, does he have the gonads to handle Montreal. I’d give the reclammation a season’s chance – no more.

by Robert L on Jun 8, 2009 12:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Of two minds?

If the tight against the cap Blueshirts want to move forward, buying out Redden, who will take up 6.2 million in each of the next four seasons, is a no – brainer for even a decapitated thinker.

Yes, Redden has looked horrible the past three seasons, but the talent and skill that made him a second choice overall 14 summers ago and a Stanley Cup finalist three seasons back, can’t all have disappeared, could it?

One minute, a decapitated thinker would think it’s a good idea to commit $4 milion in salary against the cap for no one rather than pay Redden $6 million. The next minute you are postulating that Redden at $2.5 would be worth a try.

Redden bought out by the Rangers: 4.1 million
Redden not bought out: 6.2 million

That’s Redden on the Rangers for 2.06 million a year vs. the prospect of the buyout. By your Canadiens logic, that makes him worth the gamble. Thus, it seems the decapitated are errant in their musings. The Rangers are no more likely to get a player better than Redden for $2 million than the Canadiens are.

All that said, i’d have Redden on my team for $2.5 million in a heartbeat. There aren’t even 80 good defenders in this league, so most teams will be lucky to have 2 better than Redden on a bad night.

However, I don’t think this will escape the Rangers who will try as they might to trade the millstone contract, but would be daft to buy him out given the alternatives and the term.

by Topham on Jun 8, 2009 6:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It’s a no brainer for the Rangers because they are tight against the cap and will need spending money to move forward. Looking at their picture, Redden is by far the logical subtraction.

If this happens, he may become a cheaper solution for the Canadiens.

That he was horrible last season, hopefully would be solved by reuniting him with Martin.

The Rangers would not take a 4.1 per annun hit on Redden’s buyout. There is a formula that charges a percentage of the buyout against the cap that I believe in his case would extend the payout over an eight year period. Redden received more than 6.2 in the contract’s first season – an even 8M, I think (shudder) – I’m not sure if that affects the final four year payout rate in buyout terms.

by Robert L on Jun 8, 2009 8:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

They'll hang on another season

In any case, the Rangers will probably hang on another season in the hope that Redden will be better.

Most of the Rangers people are actually talking about moving Gomez or Drury, which saves them even more more if done by trade. Add to that the fact that Naslund has retired and that Zherdev might not come back and the Rangers don’t actually look like they’re in dire need of a bad salary buyout hanging over them a la Yashin.

I still think Redden at 2 some odd for the Habs is a no-brainer if it were ever attainable.

by Topham on Jun 9, 2009 5:03 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

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