Flyers interested in Redden?
On Thursday, the Rangers will wipe their hands clean of Wade Redden and move on. Could the Flyers be interested?
Flyers interested in Redden?
Frank Seravalli
On Thursday, the Rangers will wipe their hands clean of Wade Redden and move on.
The much-maligned defenseman, who never lived up to a 6-year, $39 million deal signed in 2008, is expected to clear waivers around noon on Thursday. At that point, the Rangers are expected to buy out Redden from the remaining two seasons on his deal.
(Canadiens forward Scott Gomez is expected to receive a similar fate.)
The NHL originally settled on allowing each team two amnesty “compliance buyouts” for smoother transition down from a $70.2 million salary cap to a $64.3 million cap in 2013-14. They were not to take place until next summer.
Both the Rangers and Canadiens told Redden and Gomez to not report to camp. There was no NHL roster spot for them. And rather than send them to the AHL, where anything more than $900,000 now counts against the cap, teams did not want to risk injury. Injured players are not eligible for participation in the compliance buyouts.
So, the NHL and NHLPA agreed this week to allow each team to buyout one player from their roster before this shortened season.
The caveat: players bought out prior to this season will be paid their full salary for this season. Teams will also be hit with a full salary cap for this season. Players will still become free agents immediately. The buyout will essentially go into effect next season, with the team responsible for a two-thirds payment on the remaining salary, with the salary cap hit being spread out over double the term remaining.
For example:
Wade Redden - Defenseman - New York Rangers, 35 years old
Original deal: 6 years, $39 million, to expire after 2013-14 season
2012-13 salary: $5 million (prorated). 2012-13 NYR cap hit: $6.5 million
---if bought out Thursday, immediate free agent ---
2013-14 salary: $1.65 million. 2013-14 NYR cap hit: $1.65 million
2014-15 salary: $1.65 million. 2014-15 NYR cap hit: $1.65 million
---contract terminates---
Redden would become a free agent on Thursday. He can double-dip and be paid by both the Rangers and a new club for this shortened season.
Are the Flyers interested?
The Flyers are in need of defensive help. Andrej Meszaros (Achilles) may not start the season. Erik Gustafsson (ankle) and Marc-Andre Bourdon (concussion) are not healthy.
“I am of the belief that you can never have too many defensemen,” Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said last week.
Redden, 35, has been buried in the AHL for the last two seasons with the Connecticut Whale, where he collected 62 points in 119 games. He did not play during the lockout.
Redden has good hockey sense. He’s experienced, has played in the playoffs. He’s been noted as a good locker room presence. He makes a good first pass. But his foot speed is in serious question.
Amazingly, word is making its way through the rumor mill that despite his client’s lack of high-level activity, agent Don Meehan of Newport Sports will be seeking somewhere around (a prorated) $1.5 million or $2 million for this season. That’s a steep price.
I'm going to say it's unlikely to happen, give a lot of circumstances.
Had Redden become a free agent when the CBA was ratified, as opposed to now, the Flyers would be a lot more interested, according to a source.
For one, the Flyers just committed to defenseman Kurtis Foster. They signed him to a one-year, $950,000 contract on Sunday, the first day of free agency. We delved into Foster’s injury history in detail this week. If healthy, he could be an asset. But he is still a third-pairing defenseman.
The Flyers have an abundance of third-pairing defensemen: Bruno Gervais, Foster, Andreas Lilja (waived Wednesday) ... you could just as easily replace those names with Oskars Bartulis, Ryan Parent and Lukas Krajicek for fun (or indigestion).
For the Flyers, cap space isn’t an issue.
But contract space is the issue. The Flyers are currently committed to 49 contracts out of the league maximum of 50. They need to keep room for Scott Laughton, who does not currently count among the 49, since he is likely to stick with the Flyers for at least the opening weekend of the season with Danny Briere (wrist) out of the lineup.
If Laughton were to play in 6 games this season, he would not only burn 1 year of his entry-level deal, but he would also put the Flyers at the 50-contract limit.
Yes, the Flyers can make any sort of deal with another team to get rid of a contract at a moment’s notice most times. They could theoretically sign a player like Redden now, have Laughton play 5 games and then send him back to OHL Oshawa.
I get the sense now, though, that the Flyers are less interested in Redden. Particularly at that steep price.
Still, if Redden were to somehow get down to a $1 million number, or even less, I believe a number of teams would be in line for his services. The Islanders are one rumored team. Edmonton and Columbus may also be interested. The Flyers could then be in the mix.
Something to think about.
CAP CENTS: Since the Flyers will not be near the $70.2 million upper-limit for this season, I've gotten word the team is likely to leave Chris Pronger (concussion-like symptoms) and Matt Walker (hip/back) on regular injury reserve for as long as possible. Since the salary cap is calculated based on days (99 this year) and not a full season or games, each day under the salary cap (and not in LTIR mode) would bank the Flyers more space. The Flyers would move either Walker or Pronger to LTIR if necessary to make a major transaction before the April 3 trade deadline.
THE NOODLE: Carolina placed former Flyer Andreas Nodl on waivers on Wednesday. Nodl, 25, did not rack up many points (7) last season after being claimed off waivers by the Hurricanes from the Flyers.
Nodl still has strong ties to the Flyers organization. He also spent a good bit of time working out in Philadelphia toward the end of the lockout, after returning from playing in his native Austria.
Nodl, who scored 11 goals in 2010-11, never really seemed to be one of Peter Laviolette's guys. Two drawbacks on a claim: Eric Wellwood already provides a similar style of game... and the Flyers’ contract issues as explained above.
BOBBY BIG WHEEL: Local product Bobby Sanguinetti, who was born in Trenton but played a big part of his youth hockey in and around the Philadelphia/NJ metro area before moving to the OHL, finally appears to be a lock to make the Carolina Hurricanes this year.
It's been a long road for Sanguinetti, a 2006 1st rounder by the Rangers, who has tallied just 8 NHL games so far. The AHL All-Star defenseman netted 50 points in 60 games with the Carolina Checkers last season.
For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers
- Wow! You are so boring.
— FlyersLosersFor38Years - I have mix feelings about Redden. I depends on where Meszaros is in his progress, same goes for Timonen. It depends how badly Redden wants to be in NHL if at all. It depends on how much and how long his contract is. Redden disappeared in AHL for 2 years it's not like he did great there. You can never have too many D-men.— Nitroglycerin
- This comment has been deleted.— scott-stevens-is-god
- So, how's things in North Jersey, scott-stevens-is-god, a.k.a BigTomBlew3, a.k.a. The General, a.k.a. Lonewolf, etc.?
— DaveCicc - ROTFL The Devils are a bunch of losers who were one goal away from being eliminated in the first round last year.
New Jersey lost its captain Parise, top scorer Sykora and best coach Larry Robinson. Bottom line: The Devils will show their true colors and miss the playoffs again this year - for the 2nd time in three years. Newark = city of chokers. - This comment has been deleted. — scott-stevens-is-god
- Another astounding display of literacy by the erudite gentleman from Newark. Jealousy? ROTL I'm supposed to be jealous of the Devils and Super Marty?
The Devils are the only team in NHL history to lose the Stanley Cup to an 8th seeded opponent and Super Marty is the only goalie in NHL history to surrender 3 goals on a 5 minute power play in the finals. I'm just dying of jealousy...please learn how to spell it. - get Gomez— philly thug
- Maybe the opposition will just skate their 3rd and 4th pairings when they play the Flyers. Holmgren's shortsightedness is the gift that keeps on giving. Hey, but they have a kid who has a lot of hits, fans love that stuff.— no_shootouts
- MichaelZoe: Timo is one hit away from retirement? What is that based on? Timo is a warrior. He has played 76 regular season games or more every year since 2003, and he has missed a whopping 13 games over 5 seasons as a Flyer. Give the guy some credit, and show him some respect. When you would be cryin' for mommy, he would be on the ice, still playing all-star level hockey like he did last year, and quite frankly, like he has every season since being a Flyer.— snipesmorris
- Does Parise still play for NJD?— Nitroglycerin
- For SCOTT STEVENS: And you're still having trouble filling up the Prudential Center in such a beautiful part of New Jersey? Empty seats dressed up as fans make the "Devs" play that much better in your mind, correct? You must live near those smokestacks with the poison air, up there; you best make sure you're not growing a second cranium. Even Bruce moved to Rumson.— RichieLemon
- Flyers 1000; I'm going to pretend you said none of our d-men could crack the Rangers top 5. Timonen's career speaks for itself. He has been, and still is a top pairing player. Coburn is underrated because he doen't shoot the puck like Weber or try to behead players with his stick like Pronger. Quite simply, he's a shutdown d-man. A top 4 d-man. I feel the same about Meszaros. Somehow, I forgot about Schenn. Who makes the Flyers d even deeper. Bottom line... this is a nice group that ISN'T topped by Pronger and Weber... and that is just fine.— Richie Captain
- redden is a problem, brings Bad habits with him, younger guys dont need him around— bigtom blew3
- Richie Captain..let me ask you this question. Would the Rangers trade any of their top 5 D men for Timmo Today??? The answer is a clear NO if you know anything about hockey..Yes he has had a great career but he is at the end and ""currently"" not as good as any of there top 5..come on now be realistic....This is clearly a group of 5-6-7-8 type defensemen ....its unfortunate but its a fact . Coburn and Meszaros are shutdown D men WOW you are a Kool Aid drinker...just trying to be realistic but lets see how it plays out— flyers1000
