SPORTS: The Emery Solution

Bryan Murray has marked down the price on Ray Emery to the point where any other GM would be nuts to trade assets when he can be picked up off the scrap heap for money alone come summer. Forget the Emery and Spezza to Vancouver for Luongo and fodder. Not going to happen. Not unless Mike Gillis has something on Emery that would ensure his good behaviour. And I don't think such a thing exists.

But I've got one idea that makes sense for all involved. Emery and a second-round draft pick to Nashville for Chris Mason. Nashville then immediately buys Emery out.

So, why would Ottawa do the deal? Hmmmm, no Emery is a good start to ANY trade situation. Mason (signed for two years) would then engage in a competition with rookie Brian Elliott and holdover Martin Gerber. Worse comes to worse, the Senators end up with Mason and Gerber and then Elliott joins Mason the following season, getting ready to take over in 20010-11. Would even save a few bucks. And with re-signings needed aplenty, every free buck helps.

Now, why would Nashville want to do the deal. Essentially, they would be buying the second-round pick. They might even get Ottawa's first-rounder, if David Poile hangs in there in negotiations with Murray. The Predators have to bring up their minor-league goalie, Pekka Rinne, next year (out of options), so they have a built-in cheaper backup for Dan Ellis (the kid from my neck of the woods). They would rather move Mason's salary and get something, rather than execute their OWN buyout with no return. And, here's the kicker, they have ample cap space. They can take the four-year cap hit, along with the two-thirds cash payout to rid themselves of Emery.

It's not like it would set a precedent. New Jersey fobbed off a retired defenceman and a first-rounder to Anaheim a couple of years back to get badly-needed cap space. This year, Nashville has the cap space to absorb the hit and would get the same kind of return for their financial largesse.

The cost of buying Emery out is about four million bucks and the cap hit is about a million a year over the next four years. Off-setting that would be the cost of escaping Mason. Let's say that off-sets about two-thirds of the money and cap-space. Is that remaining cost worth a two? A one?

How do YOU spell relief? Murray might spell it N-A-S-H-V-I-L-L-E.