Ottawa Senators Greatest Players: Number – 4 Wade Redden
Today as we count down closer to the greatest Ottawa Senators player of all-time we arrive at number four. He is amongst the highest scoring and longest tenured players in Sens history. Prior to the arrival of the current Captain he would be considered the greatest defenceman in Sens history. Wade Redden sits at number four all-time.
Redden had a strange start to his NHL career as he was a second overall pick but didn’t play for the team that drafted him. He was initially drafted by the New York Islanders but was traded to the Sens in January 1996. This was done because the first overall pick Bryan Berard refused to play for the Sens. Although it was frustrating at the time, this trade became a win for the Sens.
Redden first started playing for the Ottawa Senators in October of 1996. From then until he left the team in 2008 he was a part of the Sens blueline. As a member of the Sens he developed into an elite offensive defenceman. Consistently able to put up 40-50 points, he was the Sens best defenceman.
Part Of A Dynamic Duo
For much of the early 2000s the Sens were a powerhouse. Much of this was because of the one-two punch they had on defence of Redden and Zdeno Chara. However, following the 2005-2006 season they Sens had to choose between Chara and Redden. Obviously the Sens chose Redden and although at the time it may have seemed like the correct choice, hindsight tells us this was a mistake. Redden left Ottawa by 2008 and his NHL career fell apart. Chara on the other hand has had a Hall of Fame worthy career.
Although this may not have been the best choice for the Ottawa Senators, it does not take away from just how good Redden was for a long time. Now that the Sens have Karlsson it can be hard to see what a normal elite offensive defenceman is. 70-80 points is not the norm for even the best elite defenceman. Having a defenceman putting up 40-50 points a season is still quite elite.
Legacy
Redden currently sits 4th all-time in games played for the Ottawa Senators with 838. In that time he scored 410 points which is good for 5th all-time. Over 12 years he was part of some of the best Sens teams ever iced, and he was a big part of them. Redden belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Ottawa Senators.