Sean Avery Headed Back to the New York Rangers?

Well if three months ago you told me I was going to be titling a article with those words, I would have thought you were crazy. Well as a matter of fact, it's not as crazy as it sounds.

The Dallas Stars have made it known that Sean Avery will not play for them ever again, and combined with the fact that there are only limited destinations for Avery to be traded to, it puts them between a rock and a hard place.

The New York Rangers on the other hand are reported to be shopping defensemen Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden, as said by the Ottawa Sun Times last week. Problem is, both of these defensemen make more then five million dollars a season, and that renders them almost untradeable. Until one looks at this scenario a little further.

If there is one problem the Stars have had this season, it's defense and a power play quarterback and who could better fill that roll then Wade Redden, a marquee defenseman who made his career in Ottawa running the power play? In New York he has struggled but in a small market such as Dallas, he could thrive.

The Rangers also have Dallas in a very vulnerable position as they can't really demand much. With a four year/$15.5 million contract that they have to pay, they can't let him rot on the bench, nor can they send him down because their affiliate in Manitoba does not want him.

There are probably two teams other then the Rangers who would take the risk; the Islanders and Thrashers, and neither of them have the players available that could more evenly match what the Rangers can offer.

So now you know what I'm alluding to, the Rangers will trade Redden or Rozsival to Dallas in exchange for Sean Avery. Is this a trade I would make? Absolutely.

I have made it known that I am not Avery's biggest fan, and even after saying that, I would still make this trade. As mentioned by ESPN's Rumor Central, the Rangers would then waive Avery upon his acquisition and upon clearing waivers, be sent to the Rangers' AHL affiliate in Hartford, thus making a major salary dump and clearing approximately five to six and half million dollars.

And who knows, if Avery goes through with his anger management classes and reshapes his lifestyle and become a more tolerable person, the Rangers could call him up (prefferably waiting until next season) and still have Avery on contract for the remaining three years on his contract.

It's not as preposterous as it seems and even though it appears that the Rangers are giving away Redden for free, they really aren't. Because with that trade comes tons of cap space and one other thing..."Hello Mats Sundin!"