If Flyers Seek Another Goaltender, Ray Emery Should Be in Considerations

When goaltender Ray Emery went down with his second injury of the 2009-10 season, general manager Paul Holmgren made it clear to the media that they were still in talks of extending his contract. This was before the full extent of his injuries were clear, which have been explained on this site in an earlier post.

Very few athletes come back from the type of injury that Emery had, and yet he’s been training with Matt Nichol, a former trainer for the Toronto Maple Leafs, to get himself back into peak physical condition. According to a recent piece by the Vancouver Sun, his exercise regimen of pilates, yoga, and acupuncture is undertaken twice a day, every day.

Emery’s agent, J.P. Barry, has said that he is in talks with several teams about coming back to the NHL.

My understanding is that the Flyers organization doesn’t want to bring Emery back, but if they are considering trading for another goaltender, I don’t see any better options.

J.S. Giguere’s name has been thrown out numerous times as a potential acquisition for the Flyers, but the Toronto Maple Leafs will be asking a lot for the veteran netminder, who has been injured repeatedly this season and hasn’t put up the numbers you’d expect of him.

Mike Smith was just placed on waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning, but for the obvious reason that he doesn’t belong in the NHL.

Jose Theodore is backing up the Minnesota Wild and could be available, but I haven’t talked to a single Flyers fan who doesn’t cringe at the thought of him coming to Philadelphia.

High quality goaltenders, like Miikka Kiprusoff or Tomas Vokoun, will also have a high asking price from their respective organizations.

So why not go back to Sugar Ray? He has had an excellent track record in the NHL, had a good run with the Flyers before he became injured, and has matured immensely in the last several years due to his circumstances. I don’t see why Emery would turn down any offer from the team that gave him a shot when no one else in the NHL would.

Sign him to a one-year, prorated two-way contract and let him work his way back with the Adirondack Phantoms. At the very least, he would then be available as a “black ace” (AHL reserves called up after the regular season, not a racial term) during the playoffs.

As the headline says, if the Flyers decide to add another goalie to the mix, Emery should be in considerations. Let him finish the season he never had a chance to.