Rangers put Redden on waivers

The Rangers placed Wade Redden on waivers Saturday, an expected move that still resonated with the team.

Redden came to the Rangers two summers ago on a six-year, $39-million contract after his game had been in decline during the final two seasons of his 11-year run with the Senators. Rangers president Glen Sather envisioned Redden as a quiet leader, puck-moving defenseman and power-play quarterback; about the only one of those characteristics Redden showed was the quiet part.

"He seemed like he was carrying the world on his shoulders," Sather said Saturday. "He was really not very relaxed at all here."

With limited effectiveness in his two Rangers seasons and a glut of defensemen at the training camp that commenced last weekend, Redden seemed resigned to his fate. The $6.5-million salary-cap hit for this year and the next three also doomed him; with the Rangers almost $4 million over the $59.4-million salary cap, Redden was the most vulnerable player to be waived.

There is no chance another team will claim Redden, who still has the four seasons and $23 million in salary remaining. After 48 hours, Redden almost certainly will report to the Rangers' AHL affiliate in Hartford.

Sather and Redden met yesterday morning and Sather said the defenseman wanted a few days to decide what his next move will be. Redden could work out a deal to be loaned to a European team, which would offset some of his remaining NHL salary, but with a newborn baby, Redden does not seem to be headed off anywhere.

Redden and John Tortorella clashed last season, culminating with a shouting match at Nassau Coliseum in December when Redden learned he had been benched.

"This had nothing to do with effort. He tried," Tortorella said. "He did everything he could. He came to camp in good shape. We just have some prospects and guys on tryouts we needed to take a look at."

The Rangers have 12 defensemen remaining in camp, with the promise of more cuts coming either Sunday or after tonight's game in Detroit against the Red Wings.

Despite Redden's failure to live up to expectations, a few Rangers were not thrilled to hear the news of his waiver.

"I learned a lot from him," said Michael Del Zotto, who made his preseason debut. "Stuff like not trying to make that streak pass for a breakaway every shift, about staying patient. He was always there with a helping hand."

Del Zotto scored the winner in the Rangers' 5-4 victory over the Devils at the Prudential Center.

Notes & quotes: Henrik Lundqvist made his preseason debut last night. C Todd White, coming off shoulder surgery, also made his debut despite some caution about his health. "He begged. He begged the trainers, so he's in," Tortorella said . . . F Vinny Prospal (knee) did not skate and did not travel with the team to Detroit. "We're just being careful with him," Tortorella said.