Wade Redden, Really?!

Next summer Wade Redden’s enormous cap hit counts against the Rangers roster total once more and therefore the Rangers would have to go through the process of demoting the defenseman again. Don’t look now but Wade Redden has begun this season’s exile in Hartford playing well (at least offensively) and has 5 points in 5 games. Playing devil’s advocate for a moment; what if Redden re-found his focus and desire for hockey with a year in the minors and plays a brilliant season? What if he re-found his game in Hartford to such an extent that during the next Rangers training camp the veteran blue liner plays brilliantly and thanks to his play, demands that he stays in New York. More importantly, thanks to his play what if the Rangers take notice and realise it’s in their best interest to keep Redden in New York?

This is all hypothetical and given his age and the financial commitment he has in NY it’s a very unlikely situation but Wade Redden seems to be trying to make people take notice. The Rangers aren’t exactly playing stellar defence right now and if that was a trend all season, well, desperate times can often call for desperate measures….

Basically the point is this; keep an eye on Hartford this year if you weren’t going to already. By all means follow the prospects (the future, after all) but don’t lose sight of how a certain veteran hockey player is doing because next summer Mr W. Redden may become a hot topic once more. Maybe it’s the likes of Michal Rozsival and Chris Drury that will have to worry about next summer.