Wade Redden during his time with the New York Rangers. Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
After becoming a free agent and testing the waters of the market for the first time since 2008, defenseman Wade Redden has signed with the St. Louis Blues.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that Redden has a one-year deal with an $800,000 base salary. Bonuses could push his salary up past the $1 million mark, too. Note that the $800,000 salary is for a full season, so players receive a pro-rated amount for the abbreviated 2013 season.
For most of his NHL career, Redden played with the Ottawa Senators. He turned heads by scoring his very first goal on his first shot taken, was named Rookie of the Month in April 1997, and helped the Senators reach the playoffs for the first time ever in 1996-97. He was subsequently named an alternate captain in 1999 and served that role for nine years. A +36 performance in 2005-06, obtained in just 65 games, had him tie for the league lead in plus-minus. Then he went to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007, though the Senators lost in five games.
But soon, Redden’s fortunes in Ottawa changed as the team struggled, the coach was fired and the Sens limped into the playoffs. When his contract expired in 2008, he decided to sign with the New York Rangers. Struggling in the bright spotlight of Broadway, a New York Post writer even referred to his Rangers contract as “the worst in the history of the NHL, if not in the history of hard-cap pro sports.” Ouch.
The Rangers waived him in September 2010 so the team could stay within budget and he went down to the AHL. Though he thought of retirement, he decided he would go play for the Hartford Wolf Pack, now known as the Connecticut Whale. He ascended to their captaincy in 2011-12.
Redden has been praised by many hockey minds for finally getting a possible chance to succeed again somewhere else when the Rangers waived him again just two days ago. Now he gets a third chance in St. Louis, where he’ll join defensemen like Barrett Jackman, Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk.
After the Blues’ big season last year–winning the tough-to-win Central Division, first playoff series win in a decade–they’ll be looking to follow up with another big campaign. Perhaps Redden will play a big role in that.
