Heading into the offseason, the Philadelphia Flyers have, roughly, $42 million committed to 11 players for the 2009-10 season, and none of those players happen to be a goaltender. That's because the team's two-headed monster from this past season, Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki, is eligible for unrestricted free agency, and there's really not a long-term solution banging down the door in the pipeline to the NHL.
Newsmakers in the NHL is a weekday morning attempt to clear yesterday's rebounds and look to the day ahead.
Blues 5, Blue Jackets 2: After knocking off Columbus in a shootout on Saturday, the St. Louis Blues completed their weekend home-and-home sweep of the Blue Jackets with a 5-2 win at Nationwide Arena. Patrik Berglund picked up a goal and two assists for the surging Blues, while Brad Boyes scored his 30th goal of the season, giving him two straight 30-goal campaigns.
T.J. Oshie made some highlights on Saturday for his crushing hit on Rick Nash, and followed it up on Sunday with his 14th goal of the season.
Former Ottawa Senators goalie Ray Emery hasn't been having a good time in Russia lately. It wasn't that long ago that Emery went bonkers and attacked his team's physical therapist after getting pulled from a game. Now, word has leaked that Emery is upset about his salary. Things have gotten so bad that Emery didn't return to Mytishchi Atlant following the KHL's break last week, and the club is threatening legal action.
Ray Emery gained quite a reputation in the NHL for having a gigantic chip on his shoulder. He was routinely at the center of controversy in Ottawa for fighting opponents, teammates, coaches, motorists and, well, pretty much everybody. He's currently playing in Russia with Atlant Mytishchi of the KHL, and was recently involved in an incident on the team's bench.
There are multiple press reports this morning that Ex-Ottawa goalie Ray Emery has signed a one-year contract with Atlant Mytischi of the new KHL. Our pal Dmitry Chesnokov is passing along an English translation of an interview from the pages of Sovetsky Sport. This time, Pavel Lysenkov was on the scene with an interview with Atlant's GM Leonid Veisfeld about the signing. Here's the translation:
LV: "Actually, so far we only have the English language version of the contract signed ... Now I am waiting for the Russian language version of the contract with a signature. Until I receive it can't attest that Ray Emery will play for Atlant next season. I remember so many cases when players changed their minds at the last minute."
PL: But still, the possibility of Emery playing in Russia is close to 100%. Please explain to us why you decided to negotiate with this goaltender?
Troubled goalie Ray Emery is the latest NHL player to be leaving for the oil fields of Russia, although few people around the league will really miss him all that much.
The 25-year-old former Sens netminder has signed a one-year deal with Atlant Mytishchi of the Continental Hockey League in Russia, according to the Ottawa Sun. The deal is worth more than $2 million, plus bonuses.
Emery's first choice would have been to play in the NHL, but his agent J.P. Barry received just three calls.
"Unfortunately, it's only been a short time since the buyout and there isn't anybody willing to give (Emery) a second chance at this time," Barry told the Sun. "I think if people knew the things that he's done over the last little while to turn the corner, there might be more interest out there."
It takes more than a month or two to "turn the corner", especially since a leopard, or crazy goalie, can't often change their spots.
I don't think this is so bad for Emery, given that he'll be paid a healthy sum to play hockey and get a chance to cool off for awhile. If Emery can rediscover his game, and truly prove that he's matured, I'm sure NHL clubs will be ringing up J.P. Barry this time next summer.
The #1 question any team should ask about any player: Does this guy add an overall positive value to our hockey club?
Ray Emery, despite all of his latent and natural talent, has far more minuses than pluses, and he was far too much of a poison for the Ottawa Senators to keep around.
In the wake of several incidents involving both the team and member of the public over the past couple of seasons, Emery has been served with a buyout notice by the club and has been placed on NHL waivers.
If nobody decides to pick up the 25-year-old, then Emery will be bought out for one third of the remaining $6.75 million on his contract_ or approximately $2.25 million. Emery has two years left on the deal. He would then become a free agent and although several teams have expressed an interest in Emery, it's unlikely he would be able to sign anything but a two-way deal -- which would pay him considerably less were he not to stay on an NHL roster.
Some players, such as Dominik Hasek or Ed Belfour, have been able to get away with being Bad Boys because their level of player was so far above average. Emery? His play deteriorated to the point where he finished second last in the league with a paltry 89.0% save percentage. It's pretty easy to cut a guy who isn't performing.
If I was running an NHL club, I'd stay the hell away from the guy, even if he has loads of untapped talent. What coach wants to take on a guy that shows up late for practices, can't control his emotions, goes clubbing all the time, and creates a bad atmosphere in the dressing room?
Perhaps Ted Nolan and the New York Islanders? Then again, Nolan's past experience with Dominik Hasek might scare him off.
The Ottawa Senators are a highly-skilled team with a horrible disease of some sort. Call it cancer, but realize that something was amok as the Sens' season spiraled into a sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
How else can a team with the likes of Wade Redden, Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson, Andrej Meszaros, Jason Spezza, and a bunch of other talented players completely collapse after starting the season 15-2?
There has been a lot of speculation about the nighttime exploits of certain players, as they prefer to party and booze it up rather than worry about their hockey job.
The #1 culprit, as everyone knows, appears to be Sugar Ray Emery, the guy who showed up late for practices, loves to get into fights, and is far too immature to be counted on as a #1 goaltender.
Ray Emery wore out his welcome as an Ottawa Senator because of his unprofessional approach to being a professional athlete, arriving late for practices and not working hard enough.
He also tested the patience of the team when stories reached general manager and coach Bryan Murray of Emery's partying in various Ottawa nightspots.
Friday, Murray said enough was enough. After talking to the 25-year-old goalie on Thursday, Murray put the For Sale sign on Emery, and will now try to trade him. If Murray can't trade Emery, then he'll have to decide whether to buy out the remaining two years of his contract.
"My plan is not to have him back," said Murray.
A buy-out may be the only option, because I just can't see anyone taking on Emery and his expensive contract right now.
When Bryan Murray relieved the oft-grumpy John Paddock of his Senators coaching duties, it was reasoned that Paddock was simply too laid-back to inspire the talented Senators.
The Senators were once the toast of the Eastern Conference, with a record of at 25-9-4 as of December 31st. Since then, the Sens have gone a woeful 12-16-3, and now sit 5th in the Eastern Conference behind the likes of New Jersey, Pittsburgh (a team once out of the playoff picture), and Montreal.
If you wanted to assess a rock bottom point in the season for the Sens, it would have to be them being shut out by the Los Angeles Kings and a rookie goaltender. Ouch! The Sens are 3-5-2 in their last ten, and have been shut out THREE times in that stretch. Quite a feat for the league's highest scoring team.
Many have been quick to blame goalie Sugar Ray Emery and his discipline/on-ice problems as the root of all the Senators evils, but that is far too simplistic. The rest of the team seems to be in a coma, and under-performing at a level that would make the mid 90's Rangers look good.
It's time to lay the blame at the feet of some other people, for once.
According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, there will be no goalie showcase tonight or any other night before the deadline. Senators GM Bryan Murray said Emery and Martin Gerber will be the Ottawa goaltenders going forward:
While a top forward and defenceman remain on Murray's list, he says there's no sense in trying to find a goalie because there aren't any upgrades on the market. "I don't know that there's anybody to look for," said Murray. "Realistically, that's the way it is right now. Financially, we're committed to (Emery and Gerber) ... We believe that they're both good goaltenders. For whatever reason, whether it's alternating games or whatever it may be, they're just not playing to the best of their ability. Hopefully, we can get that to turn around."
I was a guest on Sirius Hardcore Sports Radio's "Relentless" two weeks ago when one of the boys made an analogy that's really stuck with me: Are the current incarnation of the Ottawa Senators the reincarnation of the Lindros Flyers? Amazingly talented up front, professionally sound on defense, but ranging from a question mark at best to a postseason flop at worst between the pipes season after season? To be fair: Emery wasn't the problem in last year's Finals. The same certainly can't be said this regular season.
Heading into the offseason, the Philadelphia Flyers have, roughly, $42 million committed to 11 players for the 2009-10 season, and none of those players happen to be a goaltender. That's because the team's two-headed monster from this past season, Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki, is eligible for unrestricted free agency, and there's really not a long-term solution banging down the door in the pipeline to the NHL. 
Former Ottawa Senators goalie 
Troubled goalie Ray Emery is the latest NHL player to be leaving for the oil fields of Russia, although few people around the league will really miss him all that much.
The #1 question any team should ask about any player: Does this guy add an overall positive value to our hockey club?
The Ottawa Senators are a highly-skilled team with a horrible disease of some sort. Call it cancer, but realize that something was amok as the Sens' season spiraled into a sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
When Bryan Murray relieved the oft-grumpy John Paddock of his Senators coaching duties, it was reasoned that Paddock was simply too laid-back to inspire the talented Senators.
Ottawa blogger 
