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Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:00 pm EDT

Is Philadelphia ready for the Ray Emery era to begin?

By Greg Wyshynski

Look, we're all for Ray Emery(notes) returning to the NHL, for the sake of our goalie fight and minority players getting harassed by cops for driving slick rides coverage.

So we were happy to see Tim Panaccio reporting this afternoon that Ray-Ray may be returning from a season of KHL exile to become the starting goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers.

(Despite multiple sources confirming the free-agent deal, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren told the Philadelphia Inquirer: "We are having internal discussions on a lot of things ... Ray Emery is one of them. I'm not going to comment on our internal discussions.")

So what do Philly fans think of the potential signing? The 700 Level has an interesting debate ongoing, with Matt P. going to bat for the former Ottawa Senators netminder:

Maybe Emery's sabbatical in Russia was the wakeup call he needed to show him that his stardom and success could end at a moment's notice. Let's hope so. This is a significant gamble for the Flyers to take, but realistically, the acquisition of just about any keeper is. The majority are unpredictable, volatile, and streaky. At least we know that Emery has solid skills, and likely an abundance of motivation to prove himself.

Bangin' Panger takes a slightly, uh, more cynical look at relationship. We're a little put-off by the notion that Emery's being signed as a starter, as Panaccio reports. Sure, the Flyers are a better team if they dump the two-headed mouse that's been their goaltending for god-knows how long; but is Ray Emery really the first name to come to mind when thinking about stability? Especially if you're trying to hand him a hat?

Related: Goons and Pugilism, Rumors, scuttlebutt, innuendo

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120 Comments

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  1. M
    1. Posted by M Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:15 pm EDT

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    Flyers need for real players not projects. Next thing you know we are going to get the best 33 year old Eastern European Goalie not in the NHL. Oh Wait??????
  2. Kyle L
    2. Posted by Kyle L Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:15 pm EDT

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    Timmy P is a known idiot. Nothing's official until it's official.
  3. M
    3. Posted by M Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:18 pm EDT

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    And by the way I don't appreciate the goons and pugilism related tag! It's hurtful Damn it!
  4. NostraChronus
    4. Posted by NostraChronus Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:20 pm EDT

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    I personally think it's a good move; Emery fits the Flyers' personality, and he led a team to the Stanley Cup finals, which has been conveniently lost in the Emery-bashing parade. Does he have problems off the ice? No doubt, perhaps even on the ice as evidenced by his scuffle with a medical trainer during a game in Russia this season, but it is still a worthwhile gamble when you consider what's out there, and that a trade for a player like Roberto Luongo would most certainly cost them either Richards or Carter.
  5. Koba
    5. Posted by Koba Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:46 pm EDT

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    Second coming of Hextall's temper? Pass.
  6. deargodwhy
    6. Posted by deargodwhy Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:48 pm EDT

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    First off, no offense, but there's no way the Flyers are going to trade Richards or Carter. Secondly, Ray Emery does NOT fit the Flyers' personality. There are no Flyers that beat up any team trainers this year. This is a tight knit group of guys and they have great chemistry in the room and I honestly believe Emery would be kryptonite to that chemistry. Biron is just as good as Emery, and if Emery is the ONLY option Holmgren can find, I'd stick with Biron. I think Emery getting Ottawa to the cup final a few years ago was a fluke. He went back to normal a year later if everybody remembers correctly. Then his ass got released and wound up in Russia where he went on to put up semi-decent numbers. This would be a mistake. Why is it the Flyers can't just wake the [Gretzky] up and trade for Giguere now while they can. Screw all this talk about Emery and "Mr. Glass" Lehtonen.
  7. Max_Powers
    7. Posted by Max_Powers Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:48 pm EDT

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    It's not like he'll be worse than the 2 guys who split the pipes this past season. I don't know that he's got more potential than Biron, who had some hot streaks. Some work on consistency, as well as having familiar guys in front of him other than Coburn for multiple seasons may help too. Unless he's massively cheaper than Biron, I know the Flyers have some cap space issues to deal with before patching the few holes they may need to work on. If only Briere had a decent return this year, someone may have been able to take him and his huge cap hit, but he's probably got too many questions to be worth what he costs right off the bat. Flyers will be fine either way, they're huge competitors. The coach needs some improvement, but that's purely speculation on my part, and I'm not a fan of JS anyway, so perhaps not particularly objective.
  8. Exit56
    8. Posted by Exit56 Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:55 pm EDT

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    As a Devils fan, I'm ready for the Ray Emery era to begin in Philly :P
  9. Munkcy
    9. Posted by Munkcy Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:56 pm EDT

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    This is the very definition of a "high risk, high reward" move.
  10. habs1rule
    10. Posted by habs1rule Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:56 pm EDT

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    Theres a kid in Sweden that several teams consider the Next Lundqvist, I forget his name, but thought the Flyers, Leafs and another team were in the running for him. Forget Emerys past, he simply is decent at best.
  11. deargodwhy
    11. Posted by deargodwhy Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:57 pm EDT

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    JS Giguere is a proven #1 goaltender, something the Flyers have not had in a long time. He has won a cup, and been named Conn Smythe MVP in the final he lost in. That's no fluke. What has Emery won, other than a plane ticket to Russia??
  12. Munkcy
    12. Posted by Munkcy Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:58 pm EDT

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    Rumored salary expectations for 2009-2010:
    Emery - $1.5 Million
    Biron - $4 Million
  13. GT
    13. Posted by GT Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:58 pm EDT

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    Ever since Hextall left, the Flyers have been a steady goaltender away from greatness. I can't fathom why they can't ever sign a great goalie considering the teams they have to convince them. Maybe the Flyers brass know something I don't...considering they recently wagered their success in net with Jeff Hackett, Robert Esche, an aging Sean Burke, and countless others, I don't see an end to the revolving door, especially if they sign Emery.
  14. Munkcy
    14. Posted by Munkcy Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:00 pm EDT

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    @ deargodwhy -- JS also has a $6 million cap-hit, which is something the Flyers currently can't afford.
  15. John D
    15. Posted by John D Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:07 pm EDT

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    Am I the only one who is remembering the fact that the Flyers signed Johan Backlund (someone the Flyers scouts have said they like better than Gustavsson) towards the end of last season? If they do sign Emery, there is no guarantee that he has the starting job. I'm not saying Backlund will be an instant savior from a foreign land, but I can't imagine Holmgren signing Emery without a backup plan. Considering that Holmgren is keeping hush-hush about the whole scenario (because of next year's flimsy cap issue), I wouldn't be surprised if this all really was a ploy to negotiate a lower salary with Biron. I really don't think that Emery's talent is any better than Marty's, and I'm personally a fan of bringing him back, but I do know I'd rather the Flyers sign Emery than aging vets like Fernandez, Roloson, Legace, or even Khabibulin (all of whom have seen their best days pass by).
  16. banginpanger.com
    16. Posted by banginpanger.com Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:13 pm EDT

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    @ Munkcy +1
    No other reason. If they want Bouwmeester, they have to go with cheap goaltending.
  17. Sean
    17. Posted by Sean Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:20 pm EDT

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    If Emery's going to be this generation's Hextall, I guess the Leafs need to get themselves a quiet, skinny, French-Canadian kid to drop the gloves and bloody him.
  18. habs1rule
    18. Posted by habs1rule Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:22 pm EDT

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    @10 Jonas Gustavsson...
  19. deargodwhy
    19. Posted by deargodwhy Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:27 pm EDT

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    @Munkcy: I know about Giguere's cap hit. If the Flyers are considering trading either Gagne, Briere, or Lupul to free up cap space for JBo, why can't they do the same for JS instead? I agree with GT about the Flyers being a great goaltender away from greatness. JBo is not a necessity to win hockey games. Their defense is solid. Would it have been nice to have him? Sure. But not as satisfying as it would be if it was a great goalie.
  20. fetus enchiladas
    20. Posted by fetus enchiladas Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:29 pm EDT

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    i can't help but laugh at this story.
    emery would fit right in, as a prime example of failure.
    they better find somebody cheap, though, since they're paying millions for briere to have groin surgeries every other month.
    i hear arturs irbe is back in game shape. maybe ken wregget could suit up, i'm sure richards has talked to him on the golf course.
  21. Runnin up on ya !
    21. Posted by Runnin up on ya ! Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:35 pm EDT

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    All I have to say is this. I've been a Rangers fan since 1990 and the Flyers have had some scary teams on paper at the start of 80% of those seasons. You know why I never really sweated it, whether or not the Rangers would win the games? Because outside of Hextall and Bezzer in his last years the Flyers always spend zilch on solid goaltending. Strong D? consistantly from Desjardin to Hatcher, Leathal O? from Lindros/Recchi/Leclair to Richards/Carter/Gange but what good has all that talent done for them year in and year out with sub-par gambles like Snow/Nittimakii/Soderstrom/Rousell/etc.
    Here's an idea. I see the first name thrown around above was Luongo, who by the way would cost an arm and a leg. Lehtonen is nfg and no better then the other ding-dongs I mentioned abouve. How about someone who is actually attainable for pluggers and a pick or two like say, Vokoun or Nabakov. 1 has been on 2 crap teams and would be a A-list goalie on a respectable team and the other probly needs a change of senery to get back to what he was.
  22. firewing
    22. Posted by firewing Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:49 pm EDT

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    hey flyers fans look at the bright side you will have a goalie who can beat the cr@p out of the pens sissies when you play them. and since he is the goalie they wont throw him out of the game. unless i missed it the flyers were the only team that had to pay the sending a message rule this season. amazing how if its a flyer throw him in prison, but other teams from the area get freebies on calls where the rules are clearly broken. just saying. hell sign the guy and when 71 comes near ray can leave him crying in his beer.
  23. habs1rule
    23. Posted by habs1rule Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:14 pm EDT

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    Wonder if the Flyers thinking when they draft is that goalies shouldnt be first round picks, that was how things were years ago...Not alot of good goalie prospects in This Draft, but Flyers, your team is only as good as the man between the pipes!!
  24. Bubbabanjo
    24. Posted by Bubbabanjo Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:33 pm EDT

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    I just noticed there was a fake Bubbabanjo in the Live Blog last night early....I came in later.................somebody would actually want to be me????
    WTF...........thats like impersonatin Hitler at a JDL meeting.
    Im not sure if it stinks or not!
  25. miah
    25. Posted by miah Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:35 pm EDT

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    They Flyers have been trying to pull the Detroit school of goaltending ineptitude for as long as the Wings have. Of course, the Wings have the greatest fraud between the pipes...maybe the Flyers should make a pitch to Conklin in the off-season. Just a thought.

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