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!

Goaltenders Ready To Battle It Out For Starter Spot

For teams like the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, there is little doubt as to who will be starting in net when the puck drops to start the regular season. No matter how well Johan Hedberg, Martin Biron and Cory Schneider impress in training camp, none of them will supplant Martin Brodeur, Henrik Lundqvist or Roberto Luongo.

Many teams, however, enter camp with at least two options that have realistic chances of taking the No. 1 role when the regular season beings on October 7. While one may have a greater shot than the other, nothing is set in stone for either player and training camp will provide the perfect opportunity for both goaltenders to prove their value to the organization.

Here are a few teams that will need to observe their options closely and select the man most capable of defending their net during the season ahead.

Atlanta Thrashers: Ondrej Pavelec vs. Chris Mason

When the Atlanta Thrashers traded Kari Lehtonen last season to the Dallas Stars, they made the statement that they were ready to move ahead in a new direction between the pipes. Lehtonen had been their guy for a number of years. But his player never equaled expectations and he had a myriad of injuries during his time with Atlanta.

Ondrej Pavelec was the guy waiting in the wings once the Thrashers gave up on Lehtonen. Previous to last year, he played a total of 19 games over two seasons and failed to impress. Last season, he played 42 games (starting 40) and did not do much better as the No. 1 man. He finished the season with a 14-18-7 record to go with a 3.29 goals against average and .906 save percentage. Needless to say, the different direction Atlanta was planning to go in did not pan out much better than the original with Lehtonen.

The new look Thrashers will likely give Pavelec a shot at claiming that No. 1 role for next season. And he will probably be given the benefit of the doubt for his youth and considering they drafted him in the second round of the 2005 NHL Draft for the purpose of sporting their crease in a major way.

But when the St. Louis Blues signed Jaroslav Halak, they allowed Chris Mason to leave via free agency. The Thrashers swooped right in on the opening day of free agency and granted him a two-year deal for $3.7 million. Mason played incredibly well for the Blues during his two years of service with the team and completed last season with an impressive 30 wins.

At 34 years old, Mason may come into training camp as the backup to the 23-year old Pavelec. But Mason has performed better than Pavelec recently and any slip by the youngster can be instant cause for the Thrashers to go with the veteran.

Who Should Be The No. 1 Goalie? - Chris Mason
Who Will Be The No. 1 Goalie? - Ondrej Pavelec

Impossible Contracts Lie Ahead For NHL GMs

Teams have already begun the process of evaluating their rosters to determine what changes need to be made by the time the puck drops on the 2010-11 season. The time for upgrading talent will come at the end of June via the draft and at the start of free agency on July 1. But the most immediate part of the process for NHL general managers is to determine what dead weight should be shed from their respective organizations. Who needs to be let go, and how should they be discarded?

The most difficult situations for general managers to deal with when it comes to needing roster and cap relief is when the particular player they are looking to unload comes along with an inconvenient contract. Players who haven’t performed up to expectations and have large contracts will likely go unclaimed through the waiver process and are going to be tough sells to other general managers through the trade route. Though the latter is not impossible – just as Glen Sather about Scott Gomez.

The buyout process is another option for general managers, and the two-week window where that is allowable began today. According to TSN, the Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens are each expected to explore that avenue with one or more of their players. But for players with a lot of money still owed, and several years accompanying it, buyouts can become a bigger burden to an organization. Teams will still owe a player two-thirds of the remaining money left on his contract (or one-third for those 26 years of age and younger) over double the amount of time left on the deal. And that’s not ideal for teams who want to spend as much as possible on players that will actually suit up for the team.

Then there’s this new revelation that hasn’t really been put into practice about simply demoting a player to the minors so that they don’t play for the NHL club and their salary doesn’t count against the cap. In theory, that sounds tremendous. But I don’t really think that method has been adopted by many teams thus far. And that’s probably out of respect for the player.

A few players around the league carry with them impossible contracts. They cannot be easily waived or traded, nor does it make financial sense overall or for the cap to pursue a buyout. Instead, teams seem stuck with these deals unless the general manager can get really creative or find a sucker somewhere amongst the other 29 squads.