Truth & Rumors > NHL

Redden won't return to Senators

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Wade Redden, one of the most popular Senators, has as few as four games left with the team. An unrestricted free agent come July, Ottawa won't even bother to try to re-sign him. At a salary of $6.5 million, he is far too rich for the Senators blood, especially when there's still a general manager or two who believe A) he is simply having a bad season, B) that he feels unwanted by the his current employer and it has affected his play, C) that he is far too young to be done, and that he can and will regain the form that made him one of the country's top blueliners. There's talk that this summer, Redden will ink a contract with similar numbers to the one he now has, but it will be with Los Angeles, the Rangers, San Jose or even Edmonton.

Toronto Sun

Wade Redden, AP Wade Redden, AP
April 7, 2008  07:48 AM ET

I love the irony with the "one of the most popular Senators" line. This guy has been a mess since the playoffs last year and the entirety of this season. Is it just a skid? Does he need more support from the fans and ownership? Quite frankly I don't care. This is Canada where the market is bigger and has much more pressure. That being said, if he can't handle it he needs to go south. San Jose or LA would be a good fit since no-one cares about hockey there.

April 7, 2008  07:54 AM ET

Redden's a mess. He may not be done yet, but he's certainly lost focus - and directed that focus toward a certain white powder, is the word. If he wants to turn it around, he's gotta kick the yip, and California might not be the best place to do that. It might be best for his career - and nasal cavity - if he signed with a team like Coulmbus or Minnesota, where access to his vice may be a little more difficult...

April 7, 2008  08:28 AM ET

goCanada!:
Where do you get such juicy stories? Based on what you are saying, perhaps Mr. Emery should join him. Are these guys getting their blow from the Members of Parliament, or is it just easier to conceal with all of the real snow in Ottawa?

April 7, 2008  08:36 AM ET

I think losing Chara as a D partner really hurt this guy a lot more than it shows. I think it was much easier for him to worry more about his offensive skills, and let Chara mask his defensive short-comings. Now playing with Mez more he doesn't have the security blanket he used too, and tends to over-think his responsibilities more.

And what's with everyone loving the Yay in O-town? I figured it would be anti-depressents and pain-killers making the rounds in that locker room...

April 7, 2008  09:54 AM ET

not sure, Popper, I just hear the word on the street, and its that Redden can't stop...and doesn't want to. Bentley makes a good point about losing Chara, but I think the yip has more to do with Ottawa wanting to get rid of him than his drop off in play does.

Rumour also has it that Emery is "involved" with the sale of this kind of stuff as well, but I've only heard that once, unlike the word on Redden...

April 7, 2008  10:20 AM ET

Cup or no Cup...if this is true the owner should sack them both..and goC could you help me out with the word "sale" from your last post?

April 7, 2008  10:45 AM ET

"sale" as in he has connections with those who partake in the "selling" of such products

April 7, 2008  10:45 AM ET

I always thought Redden was overrated. A guy who has lots of potential, but doesn't have the heart to be a true #1 defender in the NHL. If you look at #1 types, most have a nasty edge to them (outside of Lidstrom who is technically perfect and Niedermayer who can skate like Coffey). Guys like Pronger, Phaneuf, Chara all play hard, Redden has always been soft, avoiding the rough play and easily pushed around in his own zone.

The Sens made a huge mistake letting Chara go and keeping Redden. They should have forced Redden out, even with his no-trade, a couple os seasons ago and kept the Big Nasty in town to give the Sens more grit, something they always seem to need.

April 7, 2008  11:05 AM ET

K.....thought maybe you were saying Emery was a dealer.

April 7, 2008  11:49 AM ET

If these guys are hyped up on the Yay, you'd think that they'd play with a heightened sense of awareness and more energy. Isn't that what that stuff does? I wouldn't really know I guess. It wrecked Theo Fleury though. I don't think Edmonton is a very good fit for him. They are way too fast and offensive minded. If it's the Northwest, it's Minny and Jacques Lemaire's trap game. I think San Jose is probably a better fit for him of the team's mentioned in the article.

April 7, 2008  12:09 PM ET

not sure, Pete, I just heard he's involved in some way with DEALING, whether it be financing, protecting, purchasing, providing, I don't know, it was just what I heard. What I have heard, from a number of sources, is that Emery is neck deep with some pretty serious people in Ottawa, people who could be considered "undesirables" by the law abiding type...

April 7, 2008  12:51 PM ET

Redden is a classic example of the Sens making a glaring error when they should have shuttled him and kept Chara instead.
His contract is as silly as McCabe's is in Toronto in terms of their on ice value.
I can't see any GM paying this guy 6.5 million since JFJ is no longer around...but then again....There is one born every minute.

April 7, 2008  02:54 PM ET

this guy IS a number one defenseman in the nhl and the rangers despreatly need him or some other top defenseman on their blueline that can quarterback a powerplay/move the puck. he would look really good with marc staal as the number 1 pair with roszival and tyutin as a strong second

April 7, 2008  03:47 PM ET

Sad to hear but if he is snorting his earnings then he should be kicked out of the NHL and forced to work as a license plate (or called Registration Tag in some countries) maker with a little orange suit. It is people like him that help give the NHL a bad name. While they are at it in Ottawa, do the same for Emery, he has put a brown stain on a very classy hockey organization!

April 7, 2008  04:00 PM ET

Sorry bgm, I guess I was a bit ambiguous there - 1 source told me he was involved in the trade, and I've heard from multiple sources that he associates with people that are definitely in the industry. SO, the single source could have extrapolated (that Word of the Day toilet paper is really working huh?) from there and assumed he is also dealing, or maybe he just knows what alot of others don't, I'm not sure...

April 7, 2008  04:25 PM ET

To blame the decline of Redden's play on an illegal substance is pretty far fetched. Although I could see Emery being that stupid...last I checked, there is still a thing called drug testing in the NHL....And based on the way the Sens have played this year...I'm sure the testers have been filling the test tubes in Ottawa...searching for answers.

April 7, 2008  04:49 PM ET

I wrote about this in September. I predicted they would try and move him, which they did, but were blocked by his no-trade contract. He is not even close to worth the money and the Sens are about to get worse. Article where i said he should go found here: http://floatoncloudnine.blogspot.com/2007/10/discussing-future-of-ottawa-s enators.html

My bad, it was October.

April 7, 2008  04:54 PM ET

Regarding the blow -- I've played with guys Emery used to play Jr with regularly for the past few years. The speculation is not misplaced, but we shouldn't run too fast with rumors. You see a celebrity/athlete do a rail and BOOM people start calling that person a cokehead, when once or twice doesn't necessarily infer a problem/habit.

All that said, Redden on the blow too? Now that is a wild rumor.

April 8, 2008  07:27 AM ET

Redden is more than just having a snort or too, he's right out there...

 
April 8, 2008  06:25 PM ET

Cocaine is out of your system rather quickly, thats one of the reasons pro sports players continue to do it.

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