Wade Redden Signs with St. Louis

Wade Redden will officially begin his attempt at a comeback with the St. Louis Blues. The defenseman reportedly has come to terms with the team on a one-year, $800,ooo pro-rated contract, as reported by Jeremy Rutherford. Redden will take his physical with the team on Sunday, meaning you won’t see him for the team’s opener.

Wade Redden’s NHL comeback begins now. With his old, hideous contract from the New York Rangers bought out, Redden was finally free to explore new avenues – and boy, they are some new avenues.

Redden last skated in the NHL back in 2009-10 with the New York Rangers. Since then, he’s mostly been known for his contract and not for his ability on the ice. When the Rangers sent him down to the AHL in 2010, he became the highest paid player in the history of the AHL. In 2009-10, Redden made $8 million. In 2010-11, his salary shrank slightly to $6.5 million.

That contract his history. With the Rangers deciding not to allow Redden to report to the AHL and thus effectively putting the wheels in motion for the NHL & NHLPA to allow New York to buy out his contract early, Redden is finally able to start over.

He does so with a one-year, $800,000 contract. The Blues aren’t sure what Redden brings to the table as he’s been removed from the NHL for the last few years. Still, the team could benefit from a veteran, left-handed defenseman in the event their other options (Colin White, Jeff Woywitka) don’t work out. Redden has plenty to prove now that he has the opportunity to reclaim his role as an NHL defenseman.

Here’s hoping this move works out. For the Blues, there’s really nothing to lose. If Redden’s NHL days are truly behind him, they’re not out that much money and still have a few other options. If it works out, the team bolstered their defense at a very low cost. For Redden, he immediately joins a Cup contender where he could make a big difference.

Win – win.