Wade Redden (6)

Redden's steady evolution
Wade Redden has grown into an all-star candidate on the Senators' blue-line by making steady and simple an art form, writes Allen Panzeri.

Allen Panzeri.
The Ottawa Citizen

Friday, September 26, 2003

Quick now, pretend it's 1996. You're the general manager of the Ottawa Senators and you're on the phone to New York Islanders general manager Mike Milbury.

He's proposing a three-team deal: If you send Martin Straka and an unsigned Bryan Berard, who doesn't want to play in Ottawa, to the Islanders, and goaltender Don Beaupre to Toronto, you'll get goaltender Damian Rhodes from Toronto and Wade Redden from the Islanders in return.

Do you make the deal?

If you have to think about it, you're fired.

Rhodes, though now at the end of his career, did help the Senators make the playoffs for the first time.

But the real prize in this trade was Redden. Since he got here seven years ago, he has been a cornerstone of the franchise, on the ice and off.

While Berard, whom Ottawa had picked first overall in the 1995 draft, just ahead of Redden, may have been the flashier offensive player, Redden's steady, unperturbed play outshone Berard's erratic defensive play.

Indeed, even before Berard almost lost his right eye after catching a high stick from Marian Hossa four years ago, the verdict was in: Redden was the defenceman you wanted to have.

Now the question is, where does Redden, 26, go from here?

So far he has had what can be politely called a "nice" career.

He's had 36, 47, 34 and 45 points in the past four years. There are few players in the league who can make the first pass out of the defensive zone better than him. Any coach in the league would take him in a heartbeat, and he'll be an almost certain choice for the next Olympic team.

But is this as good as he's going to be? Or has he yet to reach his full potential?

Ottawa assistant coach Perry Pearn doesn't have any doubts.

"One thing you have to look at is the guys who have won the Norris Trophy (for best defenceman) are much older than Wade," Pearn said. "I think he's going to be like a fine wine. As he gets older, he'll get better. He'll grow all the time.

"The defence position is where experience means more except maybe for goaltending. He'll continue to grow as he gains experience.

"He also hasn't physically matured yet, and he's not the type of player who thinks he knows everything. He's the type of player who wants to know. When you have all that in a guy, he's going to get better and better."

Coach Jacques Martin agrees that Redden will get better with experience, but there's another factor, and, for better or worse, it affects everyone on the Senators.

"The other factor is the success of the hockey team," he said. "When the team gets recognition, the individual players get recognition. They go hand in hand."

Redden prides himself on playing a simple, steady game. He sees himself with a role that he has to fulfil if the team is going to be successful.

"I don't think I'm a great offensive threat, but I think I can make the big plays defensively," he said. "I've always prided myself on making the little plays, the simple plays. All over the ice, when the game is tight, you have to make the right decisions. I've been out there in critical times, and when you're out there, you have to get the job done.

"I set goals for myself at the start of the year, the number of goals and points I'd like to get. But I always think of my success in terms of the team's success."

Yet, he knows there are greater things expected of him.

"Obviously, I'm at an age where I'm getting to my prime, and maybe with defencemen it takes a little longer," he said. "But I don't know, I'm not very good at analysing myself.

"I think there's room for improvement, but once you get to a certain level, it's harder to get to the next level. So you have to push yourself there.

"That's what we all have to do in the room: push each other to get better."

Redden is tired of watching the replays of Jeff Friesen scoring the goal that won the Eastern Conference final for the New Jersey Devils last season. He doesn't even want to think about the puck bouncing through his skates any more.

But by the time he finishes his career, he wants to have a couple of replays that he can enjoy watching.

"I've talked to a lot of ex-players about playing the game, how we have a great life and make great money," he said.

"But at the end of your career, you've got to be able to say that you've given it all you have. And to win a championship would be the ultimate success.

"I think, down the road, one of the things I'd like to do is be recognized as a top player. But it's up to me to make that happen.

"I've got to challenge myself, do all I can and not leave a lot to question."

Senators ice strong lineup

For tonight's game at the Corel Centre against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Ottawa Senators will be dressing a strong lineup. Except for Antoine Vermette, Serge Payer, Alexandre Giroux, Denis Hamel, Julien Vauclair, Christoph Schubert, Jason Spezza, Peter Smrek and Ray Emery, the roster will be comprised of veterans from last year. Patrick Lalime will play the entire game. The second part of the training camp group will play in tomorrow's game against the Leafs in St. John's, Nfld.

Coach Jacques Martin doesn't anticipate making any cuts until after the weekend.

Don't worry, be happy

Carrying eight defencemen might make life uncomfortable for those on the edge, but Jacques Martin said that shouldn't be their concern.

"That's part of being a top team," he said. "The reason we're forced to keep eight is that only one (Anton Volchenkov) can be assigned to the minors without having to clear waivers. It's something the players don't have any control over. They can't worry about that and have to be ready to play."

Team works with minor hockey

The Senators announced two initiatives yesterday to strengthen their ties with, and lend some help to, minor hockey in the area.

The first was the introduction of the BELL Skills First Challenge for atom-aged players (nine- and 10-year-olds) that could earn some lucky players a trip to the Senators' own skills competition on Dec. 27 at the Corel Centre.

The second was the one-day Tim Hortons Coaching Clinic at the Corel Centre on Oct. 4. The clinic will hear such speakers as former goalie Greg Millen, Senators director of player personnel Anders Hedberg, former NHL player Steve Larmer and Ron Davidson, a member of Canada's 1980 Olympics team.

At the Senators' pregame skate that morning (they play the Montreal Canadiens in a preseason game that night), coach Jacques Martin will explain how he conducts a team practice.