Senators GM hopeful he can re-sign Heatley, Spezza, and Redden

In an interview with Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray explains that he would like to sign pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Wade Redden to a contract extension, in addition to forwards Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza.

While many media types and fans alike see it as a forgone conclusion that Redden will play elsewhere next season, Murray is not so quick to dismiss a potential return by the team’s highest paid blueliner.

“I don’t know (where the Redden stuff comes from),” said Murray. “(Reporters) ask me about trying to sign Heatley and Spezza and then the conclusion (from reporters) is always nothing about those two at all, it’s always about eliminating another player. That’s not what we’re trying to do here. We’re going to try to do as well as we can with the people that we have and, obviously, keep them here.”

“But there are a lot of factors involved here: The total dollars, the cap system and can we keep everybody? Will everybody give us an opportunity to sign them or will it be impossible because of the numbers?”

Fitting all the team’s top free agents under the salary cap is where it gets tricky for Murray. Redden, who will earn $6.5 million this season, isn’t likely to garner as much if he wishes to remain in Ottawa. However, Heatley (UFA) and Spezza (RFA) are both expected to receive substantial raises.

“We’d like them all to take less, but that’s likely not going to be the case.”

Another thing Murray has to take into account is that some of the player may not want to discuss a new contract during the season so as to avoid the distractions that come along. Heatley has already made it clear that once the regular season gets underway, he will ask his agent to put all negotiations on hold until the end of the season.

“None of us want anything to be a distraction for the year,” said Murray. “I don’t know if that means that if we’re discussing (the contract) and have something going, that it stops on Oct. 3 or that we just don’t let it drag on.

“We’re all in the same boat here. We’d like to have our team as it is and if we can, we will.”