Marc Staal’s five-year, $19.875 million contract (signed before camp opens!) just about guarantees what everyone’s expected all summer: At some point before opening night, Wade Redden will be placed first on waivers, and then on a bus to Hartford. (Doing so will allow the Rangers to get under the regular-season cap of $59.4 million, so even a spectacular camp isn’t likely to save him. For what it’s worth, his agent declined to tell the Post whether he’s been in contact with European clubs, as an alternative to the AHL.) Blueshirt Banter crunches some numbers to determine who should get Redden’s minutes, and argues that youngster Ryan McDonagh and veteran Steve Eminger are the best bets. Meanwhile, speaking of defensemen: In an “exclusive interview” with the Rangers’ official website, Glen Sather says that should Alexei Semenov make the team out of camp this year, he’ll actually accept the job offer, unlike like last season, when he opted to instead play in Russia.