For all of the trouble he caused during the regular season, Ray Emery finally got one right.
As he told the press yesterday, he isn't the reason that the Ottawa Senators received an early ride around the links in their custom-made golf carts. His team did that one all by themselves.
How else do you explain the fact that no player got more than two points in a four game series? What about the team not being able to sport one player with a +/- rating in the positives (the highest was an even zero)? Or how can one explain the fact that the Sens looked entirely uncomfortable playing against the high-flying, hard-hitting Pittsburgh Penguins?
In a season when everything fell down around him, he was vilified in the media (with good reason), and practice meant less to him than the fake blood and limbs budget means to Quentin Tarantino, Emery finally got it right.
That won't (as it shouldn't) stop the Senators from moving on as an organization.
Their first move, in a lot of people's eyes, is to dump Emery. No matter how well-mannered and polite he seemed during the playoffs, there's no doubt he needs to go.
By watching him, it's obvious he's lost his flare and his passion.
His interviews are stale because he doesn't seem to be enjoying his surroundings. The fire in his eyes and the effort to even produce an iota of interest just isn't there; he may as well have called up Ladainian Tomlinson and borrowed the visor from his helmet, as they each have the same amount of personality when they're sitting on the bench.
The Ottawa Senators are stuck with two courses of action. The can either A) buy out the remainder of Emery's three-year contract and let him fend for himself out on the open market in hopes of attaining another job, or B) hope that someone somewhere will offer them something for him.
As nice as it would be to get something for Emery though, the Sens may be better off with the buyout, because teams know they're desperate to unload the troubled tender—who isn't going to low-ball you on this one?
Besides, if this were a case of a guy simply losing his mojo, then there could be some contrived onus on the part of the Sens to help "Rayzor" in his search for a new home.
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Based on the way he's treated the organization these past few months, however, it's best to just let Emery learn the tough lessons on his own— after all, the a troubled teen will only learn so much from his parents, he won't understand how tough life is until he lives it for himself.
Welcome to the real world Ray Emery.
Sidenote time!!: Has anyone noticed how the nickname "Rayzor" has destroyed the career of two goalies in the NHL? Both Andrew Raycroft and Emery have been graced with the name, and Raycroft is looser than a sorority girl after a couple of shots of Purple Lei, while Emery has become the NHL's version of Colin Farrell. If an NHL team ever gets a goalie with the word 'ray' anywhere in his name, avoid the nickname "Rayzor" at all costs. It doesn't turn out too well.
But what about the rest of the team?
Well, according to Dany Heatley, "There's no need to blow this team up. This is the same core of guys that went to the Stanley Cup Finals last year." Those are pretty big words coming from a guy who (combined with Jason Spezza) netted two points and put up a healthy -9 for the series.
Yea, no changes need to be made here.
Are there talented guys on this team? Sure there are.
The strange thing is, is that no one seems to play well together. Some of the guys on this roster will go to war for the team, while guys like Jason Spezza seem to have read from the Marian Hossa Book of Playoff Underachievement, and seem to be lacking in the effort department.
What I find really interesting is that, statistically, the top two producers on this Sens roster were Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore—the only two players to have more than one point—and both of them were mid-season acquisitions from Carolina.
But what if Senators' GM Bryan Murray (assuming he's still around by July 1st—I mean this is the same team that fired John Muckler after taking them to the Stanley Cup finals last year) heeds Heatley's advice and thinks that it's time to reshape the team, where do you start?
Well, the departure of Wade Redden might be one place.
Although Redden has gone as far as to veto a trade to stay in the city of Ottawa, his love isn't being reciprocated. Despite their inability to commit to the Saskatchewan native, the Sens best option may still be to give him a contract—that's not to say it's write, but look at the free agent market this offseason:
You either sign Brian Campbell, or you're stuck with a whole lot of mediocre guys.
Why not see if you can get Redden on the cheap and he somehow shows some of that flair he used to have?
Isn't that the better option than Nolan Baumgartner?
Even with guys like Anton Volchenkov and Andrej Meszaros devloping in Ottawa, losing Redden isn't something that will be easily replaced this offseason (unless via trade), and I'm not sure how willing the Sens are to deal with growing pains on the back end at this point in time from their rookies.
Up front, the Sens could address secondary scoring and add in grit—something that could ease the pressure on the top line during the playoffs.
Although the Daniel Briere-type guys aren't plentiful in this free agent crop, Brendan Morrison and Stephane Yelle could bring the right tangibles to this roster to keep it rolling for more than the first two months of the regular season.
In net?
Well unless you want Curtis Sanford, J.S. Aubin, or Christobal Huet pushing Martin Gerber to start (Frankly, I wouldn't, but who knows?) it's time to start looking at Brian Elliott as the heir apparent as well as next year's backup, because who knows if Martin Gerber's play will transition into next season?
Sports is a "what have you done for me lately" business. Although Dany Heatley is sold on the core, there's nothing more than an illusion, a flash-in-the-pan if you will.
Whatever happens in the offseason, and whether or not the team stays together and witness success in the future, or they are disbanded and sent their separate ways, the Sens Army learned a lesson they'll take with them forever.
October only means so much.
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4 months ago
Be prepared for the Ducks to be lounging on the Santa Monica sand here soon, regardless of a win tonight they have little hope of beating Dallas. Its sad to see these teams falling apart. Better luck next year.
4 months ago
I'm definitely curious to see the fallout in Ottawa this offseason. It stands to reason that core young players like Heatley and Spezza who re-upped for big multi-year deals won't be going anywhere, but most others are up in the air. Will they be able to deal Emery, or will they have to buy him out? And which team's gonna take the chance on him? Did Gerber's playoff showing earn him another go, or is he fair game to move as well after his meltdown in the second half of the season? Would Redden take a "hometown discount" to come back? Does he want to come back? Do the Sens want him back?
So many questions, so many things up in the air...glad I'm not a Sens' fan :)
4 months ago
Hope they do sign Redden, as he is a great asset to the team, even though he did struggle this year. He still brings a lot to the team. As for Emery-get rid of him. I would get rid of Spaaaaaaaaaazzzza too, but Murray seems to like the guy and his give aways...not much we can do there. I would suggest to Murray to ask Alfie on his thoughts on the team and who they should bring back.
4 months ago
Redden is passed his day in Ottawa. Guys like Commordore and Stillman are also gone this summer. The one thing I'm not jumping the gun on is Bryan Murray being fired for some of his moves this year.
Lets not forget that HE (NOT Brian Burke) made the Anaheim Ducks what they are. He's the one who drafted both Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, and picked up goaltender J.S. Giguere, and two-thirds of the much-feared checking line of Rob Niedermayer, Samuel Pahlsson.
Ray Emery didn't cause everything to go wrong this year, but lets face it; him coming back from injury was the worst thing that happened this year, as it carried over to dressing room mayhem.
Ottawa needs a Mike Keenan/Brent Sutter/Randy Carlyle type coach, someone who will give guys like Heatley and Spezza a swift kick in the ass when they need to pick their game up.
As for Emery himself, I personally think he's an amazing goaltender. He's got to pull his act together and show that he wants to actually play hockey. Otherwise, I think the only place he'll be is in the AHL.
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