After struggling for the past few games, Ray Emery has officially been put on the shelf with an abdominal tear that will require surgery to repair. Emery faces a 4-6 week recovery period after tomorrow's procedure, depending on the outcome.
The Flyers have floundered lately, leading to the firing of head coach John Stevens last week, with former Carolina bench boss Peter Laviolette taking the helm.
Emery was 11-8-1 with a 2.83 GAA and a .901 SV % in 21 appearances in his first season back in the NHL after being banished to the KHL last season after the Ottawa Senators bought the formerly troubled goaltender out of his contract.
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Fantasy Wise, if you own Ray Emery, you might want to go pick up Brian Boucher if he is available. Boucher is a serviceable backup who has played dismally the past two games he has played, but the entire Flyers team has been a disappointment for weeks. Boucher is 2-5 with a 2.60 GAA and a .902 Save % so far this season as Emery's backup. I expect that to change.
The Flyers are hurting cap-wise so unless they deal for Marty Biron from the Isles (unlikely intra-division, plus DiPietro is still a week or so away), Boucher is their main option. I expect the Phlyers to play better as they get used to Laviolette's system, and Boucher could be the beneficiary of the eventual turnaround. If he rights the ship, Emery may have a hard time regaining his starter's role.
If Emery is gone only 4 weeks, Philadelphia will play 11 games, 17 if he's gone for the full 6 weeks. With just 3 back-to-back games between now and January 20th, that leaves a LOT of time for Boucher to establish himself as the #1 Keeper. Snag Boucher and expect 10 wins if Emery is out until mid-January.
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