After much speculation, the Rangers finally bid adieu to 33-year-old defenseman Wade Redden yesterday.  The former Ottawa Senator was placed on waivers and assuming no team claims him, he’ll have the option to report to Hartford or pursue a career overseas (an option that appears unlikely as Redden’s wife had a baby last week).  His $6.5 million salary cap hit will be erased for this season and for the remaining four years of his deal barring unforeseen circumstances. 

In his two years with the Rangers, Redden filled the role of fans’ whipping boy previously occupied by Dmitri Kalinin and Marek Malik.  Redden was signed to a massive six-year, $39 million deal two summers ago despite his rapidly declining career in Ottawa.  At the time, GM Glen Sather was convinced that Redden was exactly the type of power play quarterback and brilliant first-passer that the Rangers lacked.  Instead, Redden totaled just 35 assists and 40 points in 156 games with the Blueshirts.  Redden was also an adventure in his own end on many nights, and fans quickly tuned on him.

There’s no doubt that Redden is still capable of playing in the NHL.  But he can no longer be expected to fill anything more than a fifth or sixth defenseman role.  His $6.5 million average cap hit, a high salary for a No. 1 defenseman, makes him a huge liability.  It’s not Redden’s fault that Sather offered him such a lofty contract, but the Rangers had no choice but to cover their losses.  By erasing Redden’s contract, the Rangers are now under the salary cap and free to keep whichever players on the 20 man roster they desire without financial constraints. 

With the top four defenders set in stone (Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Michael Del Zotto and Michal Rozsival), the Ranger now have six players competing for the bottom two or three blue line spots.  Garnet Exelby, Alexei Semenov, Ryan McDonagh, Matt Gilroy, Pavel Valentenko and Steve Eminger are still fighting for roster spots as of Sunday evening, but cuts are expected shortly.