Where does Ray Emery End Up If He Returns to the NHL?

Tukker wrote:Davetherave-

I really only presented my top 9 most likely, with my feelings on why. I believe there is a chance he comes back this season, if not the NHL, than the E or the A.

And I don't necessarily see him being the starter, bit I can't see him signing somewhere he has no chance of winning the starting position.

davetherave wrote:
Tuk--that's what I figured you were thinking...thanks for starting this thread. The situation will certainly be fascinating to follow.

Cheers
8)

Neely4Life wrote:Emery wont be back next year, thats basically a garentee. When he does come back, he wont be making more than 1 mil.

davetherave wrote:Tukker, you present an interesting set of scenarios.

However, you are assuming that any of these teams will take the risk of signing Emery to a contract and then risk losing him on waivers--which he must clear before returning to the NHL.

And are you suggesting he will return to the NHL this year?

Do you believe that any NHL team would actually want him at this point in time, in spite of his track record of disruption as a teammate?

Also, you have made a number of statements about the goaltending situation on some of these teams that are less than accurate.

Los Angeles has more than enough depth in net; in fact they just traded LaBarbera, and apparently are considering trading Bernier, because they have Ersberg and Quick.

Atlanta has major issues, but Kari Lehtonen and Ondrej Pavelec are very talented netminders who suffer from the Thrash's poor defense. Bringing in Emery changes nothing.

The Islanders' Joey MacDonald, a product of the Detroit system, is arguably better than Emery. Their troubles with DiPietro aside, the season is basically done for them.

Washington's George McPhee, a very smart hockey man, is unlikely to take a flyer on an unproven Emery. He has Theodore signed to a big contract; for all his inconsistencies, Theo can be brilliant in money situations. Brent Johnson being injured, young Semyon Varlamov has performed exceptionally well when called upon.

Roloson is #1 in Edmonton, and except for a few games, and in spite of Edmonton's inconsistent defence, has been playing like one.

If Colorado is on the playoff bubble, do you really think they will turn their destiny over to a goaltender who has been away from the NHL for almost a full season?

Toronto, Tampa Bay and St Louis are expected to miss the playoffs, so what benefit would they derive from bringing Emery in at this stage?

IMHO IF Ray Emery decides to come back to the NHL, the logical route he would take would be through the minor leagues.

He has shown himself to be a talented netminder in the past, but at this point, his reputation is very tarnished in the eyes of NHL GMs.

Lest you are skeptical of that assertion, remember no one wanted Emery when Bryan Murray was trying to give him away.

davetherave wrote:WPrager, as you know, the expression, "perception is 9/10ths of reality" can be applied to the evaluation of professional athletes. If it's perceived an athlete has an 'attitude problem', that perception can only be dispelled by performance.

While you, as a hockey fan, may have come to the conclusion Emery wasn't the only reason for the Senators' decline in 2007-08, General Managers will look instead at Emery's play, which simply wasn't good enough to restore his position as a #1.

Add to that his very public clashes with management, rumours of drug abuse, and lack of contrition in his interviews like the one on 'Off The Record', Ray Emery has a lot of work to do to repair his standing with his prospective employers in the National Hockey League.

Otherwise, he would have never been obliged to go to Russia in the first place.

dennycrane wrote:Colorado, maybe the Leafs.

From Pierre LeBrun at www.espn.com:

Ray Emery
We've got some news on former Ottawa Senators goalie Ray Emery, who has left his Russian club, at least for now. Emery didn't report to his KHL team, Mytishchi Atlant, after the league's break this past week.

A source told ESPN.com the netminder is upset because the team has been short-changing him on his $2-million net salary. Apparently, Mytishchi Atlant hasn't used the right exchange rate for most of the season and Emery is about 33 percent shy right now of what he should have earned. The Russian ruble has been hammered all year long, making it hard on KHL teams to pay players.

The team is upset he didn't show up Thursday and is threatening legal action. Stay tuned on that one. There is some interest from a few NHL clubs, although he'd have to clear waivers to return and that complicates things. Emery has been terrific this season, going 20-6-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .930 save percentage.

wprager wrote: I don't know which clashes with management you're talking about. Muckler made him scrap the Tyson helmet, but that's about it.