Wade Redden vs. Mark Streit

Redden signed with the Rangers for six-years and $39 million bucks last summer.

Mark Streit singed with the Islanders for five-years and $20 million dollars on the same day as Redden, July 1.

At the time, I was scratching my head and wondering why the hell someone would pay Redden that kind of money. I talked it over with my buddy, a Senators fan, and we just laughed at it. Typical Ranger signing. They go for the name and not for the, um, game.

I had a chance to see Wade Redden quite a lot last season and for whatever reason, he stunk it up out there for Ottawa. Here was a guy who was going from Canadian Olympic team consideration to playing like a guy with no experience whatsoever. There was no confidence in his offensive game and it showed.

Of course, even though everyone else had to see the same thing, the papers were all happy that they signed him. Mark Streit's signing was either under the radar (America) or laughed at (in Canada) as another one of those silly Islander moves.

Today, right now, you think the Rangers would like a do-over?

Redden is booed in his home rink more often that the out of town scoreboard. He looks confused on the ice and squeezes his stick too hard. Actually, that's it: the guy is trying to hard. He seems to have forgotten how to let the game come to him rather than jumping in and making mistakes trying to justify his contract.

Mark Streit, on the other hand, is on the Island, enjoying himself, and telling the Daily News' Peter Botte that he "couldn't be happier with (his) decision (to sign with the Isles)" and that he thinks the "team is going to be very good before my contract is over."

Montreal's powerplay is in the dumper. They're telling the captain, Alex Kovalev, to stay home for two games while embarrassing party pictures of their young players are hitting the internet. Now they are alleged to have players with "gangster ties".

You think Mark is happy to be out of there?

The point of all of this is that the Mark Streit signing is proof that Snow and Jankowski and Gordon have a clue at what they're doing. They could have pinpointed a big "name" player to sign but the under-the-radar signing of a solid two-way force like Mark Streit is a testament that the Islanders pro scouts are doing a heck of a job.