Once upon a time, in the bad old days before the salary cap,
the NY Rangers had a reputation for making expensive, questionable signings of
older unrestricted free agents.
After spending the first three years under a salary cap
spending wisely (more or less), Rangers GM Glen Sather has returned to his team’s
old free-spending ways on aging talent, signing Wade Redden to a six year
contract worth $6.5 million per season.
That’s right, Redden, whose last two seasons in Ottawa
merely highlighted he was a defenseman in decline, will not only earn the same
salary per season as he did under his old contract, he’ll keep earning it…for
the next…six….years!
I’m sorry, no offense, Rangers fans, but your front office
has taken a collective leave of its senses.
And they’re apparently still in the hunt for Marian Hossa
and Mats Sundin and haven’t ruled out re-signing Jaromir Jagr, but as TSN’s Bob
McKenzie noted, they’ll have to dump some salary because they have about $8-$9
million in available cap space, which won’t leave enough to land one of those
aforementioned big fish and still have enough cap room to flesh out the roster.
They were in good shape before taking on Redden, heck, I
could’ve even understood their signing him for two years at that salary, but not at
six years. They’ve saddled themselves with a declining asset that could prove
to be a cap headache down the road.
Of course, in the words of Dennis Miller (when he used to be funny), that’s just my
opinion, I could be wrong. For your sake, Rangers fans, I sure hope so.
Just further proves that Sather has no freaking clue what he is doing. The mastermind behind the resurgence of the NYR over the past 2 years was due to the work of Don Maloney....someone with actual hockey sense. He's made a move or two today as well for his Phoenix team.
Defensemen are at a premium this year, and with several teams looking to upgrade the blueline it comes down to "you snooze, you lose". Yes, he did have a poor 07-08 campaign..... but then again so did the entire Ottawa Senators franchise. A fresh start may be just what Redden needs to regain his prior form, in which case $6.5M per season over a long term will end up being a deal. Besides, when was the last time you saw an NHL player take a pay cut heading into their first UFA contract?
Mark Streit just signed for 4 million a year. So let's see if the Rangers get 2.5 million worth more return on their investment in the next five years from Redden. I seriously doubt it.
When you look at the free agency landscape, you'll see that there's a lack of upper-echelon defenseman - something the Rangers certainly were without last season. With Campbell already gone, Lile re-signed...there weren't too many options. Redden is a necessary signing - I don't see how Rangers fans could say otherwise. But I do agree that 6 years is a long time. 2 years would have been much more reasonable.
You gotta be kiddin here! How's my New York for you,Spec? Seriously, the Rangers are going to regret this move for at least two years and will still have four years left to wish they could get out of it - Redden will never achieve to the level of the contract and the Rangers will never be able to dump him without taking a major hit on their cap! I don't understand this thought process: First they look like shrewd business people for not knuckling under to long term contract demands by Jagr to acting like a bunch of 12 year olds playing NHL 08 with the salary cap rules turned off! What an insane turn of events.
I'm more annoyed with them bringing back Roszival than spending too much on Redden. Rozie has a fantastic shot which he refuses to use as long as Jaromir Jagr is on the ice, it's maddening beyond belief. Anyone who watched the Rangers last year knows that they needed someone to QB the power play and with Campbell off the market, that meant Wade Redden. I think once you get him away from a GM who is asking him daily to waive his no trade clause he'll rebound.
Frankly, the blue liner I want is still sitting out there at this moment - Brooks Orpik would give the Rangers a physical dimension on the backside that they have lacked since Beukeboom retired.
In the end, these long term deals really don't matter since there will likely be another lockout after the CBA ends in 2012 since the small market teams can't afford to meet the ever rising salary floor.
I somehow don't think that when all is said and done that Jagr will be back.
It wasn't just one bad season for Redden. He's been a drag on the Sens for several years - since he signed his last big contract, actually.
If there was any chance he would realize how far he'd fallen and shape his play back up, Sather just eliminated it with this contract. Basically says 'that's okay, Wade. You're still worth $6.5 million. No need to worry."
how could they let avery walk and overpay for redden? unbelieveable. makes it harder for them to keep jagr or bid for sundin. this is probably good news for montreal.
Avery has a habit of wearing out his welcome in the locker room - we as fans may love him, but how do we know that his teammates feel the same way.
In the end, I think it's time for Jagr to go. The Rangers spent a fortune on Gomez and Drury and they were relegating to second and third line centers because they didn't play Jagr's game.
Avery showed the grit on the ice that endured him to New Yorkers, plus the numbers with him in the lineup don't lie. The fortunate thing I see is that nobody has given him the money he is asking for.. yet. Maybe he is overplaying his hand, and the market value for him will be more in line with what the Rangers are offering.
ChipS - You're argument about Rozival is legit... but the one major complaint about him is his constant dishing of the puck to Jagr. As of this posting, it appears that we will be spared that frustration. Let Jagr go to whomever will allow him to play in 80 games, but only really compete in 40+ like he did for us last year.
The Redden deal may turn out to be a surprise. I agree with everyone that 6yrs is too long, but he is not an old man at 31. Ottawa also has been a terribly streaky and underachieving team the last couple of years, and the change of scenery should do him good.
My issue is also with the length of the deals. . .Redden for 6 and rosie for 4? 31 is not a bad age it is much better than handing out 6.5 mil to the 35 and 36 year olds like we were doing a few years ago (ok not that much but you get the gist). . .
To ChipS about Avery. . .I thought it was all about putting a product on the ice that the fans want to see. . .if Avery is what is going to get you to pony up $40 for nosebleed seats and just as much for a half a hotdog and a beer shouldn't you get to watch the players you want or have endeared themselves to you?
Yesterday I said I'd rather hear really bad news than be sitting in the dark re: the rangers. I've since been reminded why I changed my mind every year since 2000... son of a something something. Boston, wanna swap Chara for Redden? Remember when folks scoffed at Boston signing Chara instead of Redden? Heh. Deep breaths, chaas. You'll make it through this.
Well said Dragonfire, what did Spector expect Redden to take a pay cut? Six years is a long time, but the way the cap is going up 6.5 may not feel so big towards the end of the deal. The Hockey News actually projected Redden's salary at 6.5 million.
On another note nice to see the Rangers sign some big boys that can skate in Rissmiller and Voros. I would have liked Rolston (he would have been a nice fit for Drury), nice signing for the Devils. I sure hope Callahan, Dawes and Prucha can start scoring because it doesn't look like Jagr or Hossa will be here. Rozy at 5 million is also a bit much I thought 3.5 - 4 million. Redden, Rozsival, Staal, Girardi, Tyutin and Sanguinetti? (yikes!!) Hope Lundquivist is resting!!!!
Patch - that was a kind of silly comment. Of course they want to put fans in the stands but fans aren't going to show up because of Sean Avery. The name of the game is winning and if the Rangers win without Avery I'm sure fans will show up.
Seniahs - I agree with you about this deal not being too big of a problem going forward. I also think the Rangers will likely waive Chris Backman and with Rissmiller and Voros around they might dump Betts and move Hollweg to the fourth line center to clear cap space.
I'm sure they'll get at least one more player to help ease the burden on the young wingers. And if they sign Orpik to add some defensive responsibility to their corps I'll be thrilled.
I believe you're wrong. Redden is a 31 year old defenseman. He's got another 10 years left in him. Put him on a big market team and he will have to perform like you know he can. It's a great move for a great player.
6 years is definitely a long time. I dont mind that they picked this guy up. Still, you have to wonder what ALL the owners are thinking. Campbell got $7 million and he hasnt won a stanley cup or a norris trophy.
I wish the Rangers would sign Avery or Jagr.
Rangers might be $7 million away from the cap limit, but I doubt they'll be keeping that giveaway machine Backman, whose worth $2.3 million in cap space.
Zdeno Chara - $7.5MM
Dion Phaneuf - $6.5MM
Kimmo Timonen - $6.3MM
Sheldan Souray - $5.4MM
Brian Rafalski - $6.0MM
Dan Boyle - $6.7MM
Lubomir Visnovsky - $5.6MM
Those are all comparable salaries to what Campbell makes per year and these numbers will skew higher as the salary cap rises in the next few years, therefore making Campbell's deal look even better. If you're calling Campbell overpaid, then you're saying almost everyone on that list is also overpaid as well. The market shook out a fair price for Campbell, especially considering he was offered more in Atlanta. Would you rahter have Campbell at 7.1 or Dan Boyle at 6.7? Just because the price sounds high, doesn't mean its "overpaying" because you have to look at comparative salaries against production. And as far as the Norris argument goes....its ridiculous. Only 5 active players have won it, with 3 of them in their probable last season (Chelios, Blake, and Scott Neidermayer) leaving only Nick Lidstrom and Chris Pronger as previous winners still active. And since 2003, only 4 other players have even been nominated (Chara, Phaneuf, Zubov and Hatcher) so to say that "he never won a norris" is a stupid argument. Does Campbell make the Blackhawks an immediate contender because he fills their most glaring holes? You betcha.
And furthermore - people went completely nuts when Chara signed for $7.5MM per season and he never "won a norris or stanley cup" before his big deal with the Bruins. Does anybody even question that deal now? Heck no!
Id much rather have Phaneuf. Say whatever you want about whoever, but the guy is overpaid... just like Redden and everyone else on that list.
If you think $7 million is normal for a player like Campbell.... take a look at what Crosby and Malkin are making. 1.4 million more. Theres no way Campbell is near the level of talent those guys have. Campbell was a giveaway machine and looked pretty unsteady in a lot of last years playoff games.
My point is that just because XXX makes $6.5 million doesnt mean that your player should make that. Just because teams throw money at players as if it grows on trees, doesnt mean that you should just shell out that amount or more.
Actually, individual awards usually DO impact how a player gets paid.
Adding a cornerstone D-man is expensive. Period. And comparing anybody on that list to Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, etc. is asinine. They're playing completely different positions with completely different responsibilities and expectations. By your logic, Lidstrom wouldn't even be close to making the amount he does just because he doesn't score as many points as Crosby.
And for all the talk of Campbell's supposed choke in the playoffs last year, he did end up with 7 pts in 13 games and was a +3. Phaneuf the year before in 6 games had 1 assist and was a -4.
Phaneuf is a great player but brings a different element than Campbell does in regards to style of play. He also brought 9X the penalty minutes Campbell did (182 vs 20) so you have to take the good with the bad in regards to Phaneuf as well.
My whole point is that Campbell is an elite D-man in the NHL and he's paid accordingly. There are plenty of other guys making the same or more as him and some deserve it (Lidstrom, Chara, Phaneuf) while some really don't (Redden, Boyle, Timonen). If you want a #1 D-man in the NHL, you have to pay for them and that's the price of playing the game.
Its ridiculous to compare because they're not comparable. Like I said before, by your logic Nik Lidstrom shouldn't be making what he's making simply because he only scored 70 pts this year. But he brings intangibles to the team that clearly are not reflected by his point totals. And defensemen aren't solely judged by their point totals anyway.
I'm Lyle Richardson, also known as Spector, Foxsports.com 's "Prince of Pucks".,which is based on the fact I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada and I couldn't think of a better byline. I've been an NHL hockey commentator since 1998 on my website, Spector's Hockey, and I'm a contributing writer for Foxsports.com , The Hockey News and Eishockey News. I'm also a regular on The Faceoff Hockey Show and a frequent guest on "The Late Crew" on The Team 1200 Ottawa.
