A Reason Why The NHL NEEDS Ray Emery

Goalie fights are always fun. Though rare, few things in hockey are more exciting than watching one goalie rush down from his crease to the opposition's in order to lay the hurt into the other team's netminder. And even with all of the pads that they wear, it's not always just fun and games for these guys when they do decide to drop the glove and blocker. Sometimes, they do get hurt. Just ask Rick DiPietro, if he can even hear you after getting his face destroyed with a one-punch KO from Pittsburgh Penguins backup Brent Johnson.

Just one week after that scrap that, surprise surprise, put DiPietro back on injured reserve, fans were treated to yet another goalie brawl. I use the term 'brawl" loosely on this one. This time it was between Montreal Canadiens starter Carey Price and a man who should be lock to pick up the Vezina this year, Boston Bruins starter Tim Thomas. Unfortunately, this fight was a major letdown and shows that not every goaltender is capable of living up to the standards set by Dan Cloutier and Ray Emery as it pertains to goalie fights.

That was simply awful and makes me even more thanful that the Anaheim Ducks signed Emery. Here's to hoping Emery proves himself in the AHL to get a callup. The NHL needs him desperately to set things right in the world of goalie fights!

News From Around The Crease

 

~ TSN's Darren Dreger is reporting that the Toronto Maple Leafs have received at least five offers for defenseman Tomas Kaberle. As they stand, none are good enough for General Manager Brian Burke to accept. But some finagling between the draft on Friday and the middle of July, when Kaberle's no trade clause is back in effect, could entice Burke to pull the trigger.

It is believed Burke is looking for a first round pick in a deal, but that is not necessarily a deal breaker. More importantly, Burke wants a scoring threat that can be plugged right into the lineup. While it's likely Kaberle will end up being traded, it is still possible that the Maple Leafs could retain his services and sign him to an extension.

~ The Phoenix Coyotes would like to build upon their shocking turnaround last season and have already made moves to bring back some key components, such as defenseman Keith Aucion, left wing Taylor Pyatt and left wing Scottie Upshall. General Manager Don Maloney focused his attention on mid-season acquisition Wojtek Wolski on Thusday, signing the 24-year old winger to a two-year, $7.6 million contract. The deal will pay Wolski $3.8 million per season - a raise from the $3.1 million he earned last year.

Wolski was acquired by the Coyotes from the Colorado Avalanche at the trade deadline this past March. The Avs received Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter in the deal. In 18 regular season games following the trade, Wolski netted six goals and a point-per-game pace, while adding five points in seven postseason games against the Detroit Red Wings. He totaled 23 goals and 65 points last year between the Avalanche and Coyotes.

Montreal Sends Playoff Hero To Blues

 

There was going to come a time during this offseason where the Montreal Canadiens needed to establish who their No. 1 goaltender was, and then get rid of the other guy. That decision came on Thursday, when the first blockbuster deal of the summer was announced. Montreal decided to stick with Carey Price, and in doing so pulled the trigger on a trade that sent the rights to Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues for forwards Lars Eller and Ian Schultz.

Halak, who will be a restricted free agent on July 1, was most recently a playoff hero for the Canadiens. As the eighth seed, Montreal was expected to be bounced by the Washington Capitals in the first round. But the Habs shocked the world by sending Alexander Ovechkin and Co. home early after a seven-game series. Then they moved on to eliminate the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games, as well. Montreal was hardly a match for the Philadelphia Flyers in the Conference Finals. But the fact that the team even got there after having to play two Eastern Conference favorites was an accomplishment in itself.

And the very reason for Montreal bunking the odds and getting as deep as it did in the playoffs was the quality goaltending received from Halak. He literally stole the show on several occasions as he was leading the Canadiens to victory.

Even during the regular season, Halak proved to be the more stable force in between the pipes for Montreal. He went 26-13-5 in 45 games played, sporting a 2.40 goals against average, a fourth-ranked save percentage at .924 and five shutouts.

None of that matters in the business world of hockey, though. In that world, great play equates to great trade value, and that’s all Montreal saw in him when it came time to pick their starter. It was a move that shocked the Montreal fans. It shocked Halak. And it even shocked now former-Blues goaltender Chris Mason.

Leighton's Future With Flyers Undecided

Although I'm sure it wasn't their intention, the Philadelphia Flyers proved this year that a team in the NHL does not necessarily need an elite-level, high-priced goaltender to take a run at the Stanley Cup. The Flyers had a rotating door of goaltenders this season and managed to make it all the way to the finals with the work of two goalies - Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton. Leighton received most of the starts and was the hot hand the Flyers rode all the way to the end once he took over for Brian Boucher, who started the postseason for Philly but relinquished the starting role upon getting injured during the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
At the price of about $183,000, Leighton was clearly a steal for Philadelphia. They were able to cought up that pro-rated portion of his salary after claiming him off re-entry waivers from Carolina in December. That's a very light price to pay a goaltender that manages to backstop a team all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. With Leigton heading into the summer free-agent eligible once July 1 rolls around, one would believe that general manager Paul Holmgren would make it a priority to get him inked for 2010-11 and immediately grant him the team's No. 1 spot.
That is not necessarily the case, though. According to the Associated Press via ESPN.com, there's some hesistation. Holmgren is not ready to commit to Leighton because he's not entirely sold on Leighton as a starter to this point. When questioned about his view on Leighton as a starter, Homgren replied:

"You can't argue with his record and numbers when he had an opportunity to play."

Not quite a ringing endorsement.
Additionally, while it's difficult to not be impressed by Leighton's strong play when he was on his game, it's also hard to turn a blind eye to his poor play when he wasn't on:

"I think we've got to be careful there in how we view him," Holmgren said.

Again, not exactly a strong vote of confidence from the general manager. But really, this level of uncertainty from Holmgren is not uncalled for. Leighton might be a playable NHL goalie that got really hot at the right time this postseason, but there's a reason he's largely been a journeyman goaltender through his career - playing for four teams in a six-year NHL career where he's seen action 20 or more games just twice. Frankly, Leighton is a good option at backup. But at 29 years old, it's hard to imagine he's suddenly blossomed into a 70+-game, 35- to 40-win goalie.
It's also not as if Leighton is going to come as cheaply to the Flyers as he did last season. Not only will he earn more than the measly sum ponied up by Philly last year, but he's also going to come at a higher pricetag than the $600,000 he earned overall. It's hard to speculate exactly how much he wants or what teams are willing to pay for him. But I doubt $3 million or more is out of the question as an asking price. That's not a lot for a true starter. But for a glorified backup goalie, it might not be worth it. And Holmgren must assess if it's worth the risk to throw that money out to guy in hopes that he can continue playing like he did when he was good during the playoffs.
Leighton is not the only one on the fence here, either. He wants to remain in Philly, but will go elsewhere if necessary. To him, the ball is in Holmgren's court:

"I enjoyed my time here, I enjoyed the guys and the organization," Leighton said. "It's kind of up to the team. I've still got to talk to Homer and talk it out."

The Flyers currently have Boucher locked up for one more season at $925,000, and recently re-signed 28-year old Johan Backlund to a two-year contract. Additionally, Ray Emery might get another look by the Flyers after suiting up for 29 games with them before left hip surgery took him out for the rest of the season. Emery's injuries were the reason the Flyers ended up snagging Leighton.
Perhaps the Flyers should hold onto their cash, let Leighton walk if he demands too much and pull their efforts into acquiring whichever Montreal Canadiens netminder goes on the block, a strategy the team tried to follow during the season. There's a lot more certainly in Jaroslav Halak and plenty of time to reverse the downward spiral Carey Price succumbed to.
Giving Leighton starter money for what could easily resort to the backup play he's exhibited through most of his career is not worth the risk. It might sound harsh, but Leighton-type goalies are a dime a dozen. And an out of the ordinary showcase during the playoffs, which included several instances of bad play as well, should not cloud Holmgren's judgment in assessing the future of his most pressure position at this point.