[A] Hawks Extend Emery for 1-year

[LordKOTL]

I whole heartedly agree that competition is exactly what we need for our goalies. However, looking at the bigger picture, let's say that Hutton outperforms Emery or even Crawford as well and someone has to come down. Do you really think that Rocky is going to want another million dollar contract in Rockford?

In a perfect world, Rocky would do whatever it takes to win because let's face it--if Hutton was really that good (better than Craw or Emery), then a deep(er) push or another cup would easily offset the cost of burying Emery.



Realistically, if Emery is signed for only a mil and a half, that makes him easy to move with the current crop of FA netminders. Out of 30 teams out there you know someone would be looking for a cheap, semi-reliable vet backup who's been there and has a generally good record. I don't think it would be that hard to move him.



And yes, I think Hutton shows a lot of promise, but from what I gather, he's not even played that much in the A in spite of his age--much less 2 NHL bench showings. AHL stats be damned; he'll have to prove in preseason he can take over the reigns and be head-and-shoulders above Emery and Crawford. Same with, say, Mac Carruth, who's been doing a damned fine job in Portland during the WHL playoffs so far. I think he's good, shows some promise, but I'm not in the least bit worried about a goalie log-jam with him involved...yet.

 

[mikita's helmet]

I think it's a good move. I also feel that if he has to step in during the playoffs, he'll be in a good mindset with his new K under his belt.

 

[IceHogsFan]

Maybe you are correct that if we were looking to unload a goalie like Emery it would be easy to do so.



Point taken.

 

[klemmer]

Maybe you are correct that if we were looking to unload a goalie like Emery it would be easy to do so.



Point taken.

Yep. I see this just as an insurance policy.

 

[jakobeast]

Just as i said the player can go suck a lemon and get sent down, Rocky can also bite it if his team is that deep. If he wants to ***** about a million bucks kicking ass in Rockford, he can seriously lick my love pump.





However, I don't think it would come to that. Lets go with the scenario that Hutton is lights out. He gets 10 shutouts in a row, and can actually use the Force to make a puck stop in mid air. if the goalie position is deep, with some talent in the pipeline, Either crow or Emery will be shipped out. I would venture to guess Emery, but who knows. Emerys contract, as stated before, isn't a killer. Reasonable for almost any team to take on.



I agree however that the timing of the announcement is strange. I am sure there is nothing behind it, just strange.

 

[winos5]

Just as i said the player can go suck a lemon and get sent down, Rocky can also bite it if his team is that deep. If he wants to ***** about a million bucks kicking ass in Rockford, he can seriously lick my love pump.





However, I don't think it would come to that. Lets go with the scenario that Hutton is lights out. He gets 10 shutouts in a row, and can actually use the Force to make a puck stop in mid air. if the goalie position is deep, with some talent in the pipeline, Either crow or Emery will be shipped out. I would venture to guess Emery, but who knows. Emerys contract, as stated before, isn't a killer. Reasonable for almost any team to take on.



I agree however that the timing of the announcement is strange. I am sure there is nothing behind it, just strange.

This isn't the net you're looking for....

 

[supraman]

This isn't the net you're looking for....

Oh the fun to be had with the canucks

 

[equator180]

This will turn out to be less than an intelligent move. Neither of the two between the pipes are at best #2's. The signing could have waited, I don't think there are any lineups waiting to sign him. Hope the summer brings a clear head to management...they need it!

 

[Variable]

Neither of them are at best, at best, back up goalies? I mean, I could understand some having mixed feelings on Crawford and Emery's play but to say that at their best they aren't even back up goalies, that's a bad hockey thought. Even if you meant that at their best they are number 2s, still bad. Bad, bad, bad.

 

[supraman]

This will turn out to be less than an intelligent move. Neither of the two between the pipes are at best #2's. The signing could have waited, I don't think there are any lineups waiting to sign him. Hope the summer brings a clear head to management...they need it!

I have been hard on Crow this season and sure I wouldn't have minding improving in the pipes at the TDL but he's here. So let's see what he does next year, if he repeats this year then yeah he's backup quality but I also know his rookie season he was lights out. Emery, the way Emery has played in Chicago would have had him fighting for a starting job on a team with goalie issues. I think Emery would have got more money and more likely a starting job if he hit the FA market and he choose to stay here to probably be the backup. Hats off to him wanting to stay here and that Scooter resigned him. I really figured Emery was a one and done contract.

 

[Variable]

The sample size with Crawford is too small to say anything definitive about him. Next year might be a good indicator, but then once again it's depends a lot on the team in front of him and the quality (or lack there of) of play they give, same as with any other goalie on any other team. If he can turn out to be a league average goalie, he'll be fine for the Hawks, perfect really, and the direction they want to go in. This season the win threshold for the Hawks was .898. That's the save percentage the Hawks needed to achieve in order to win over 50% of all possible points and more than likely make the playoffs and it's well below league average. Crawford gave them better than that, and their point percentage was around .610 or .615 I believe. Even with injuries to their best player down the stretch, they still made the playoffs easily, because the rest of their team was good enough to cover for that.



For the sake of comparison, the Cup winning team's win threshold was a crazy low .872. That's why they could get away with giving up over 20 goals in that Final and still win it. That's why when their goalie plays even league average or above, they sweep teams like they did San Jose. That was one of the prototypical teams for this era of hockey. This is why you don't spend 7 million on a goaltender or go out looking for a savior for an entire team's defense in the one player that depends most on the quality of that defense. I don't understand why people still want to do that. Attack the problem, not the result of the problem.

 

[LordKOTL]

The sample size with Crawford is too small to say anything definitive about him. Next year might be a good indicator, but then once again it's depends a lot on the team in front of him and the quality (or lack there of) of play they give, same as with any other goalie on any other team. If he can turn out to be a league average goalie, he'll be fine for the Hawks, perfect really, and the direction they want to go in. This season the win threshold for the Hawks was .898. That's the save percentage the Hawks needed to achieve in order to win over 50% of all possible points and more than likely make the playoffs and it's well below league average. Crawford gave them better than that, and their point percentage was around .610 or .615 I believe. Even with injuries to their best player down the stretch, they still made the playoffs easily, because the rest of their team was good enough to cover for that.



For the sake of comparison, the Cup winning team's win threshold was a crazy low .872. That's why they could get away with giving up over 20 goals in that Final and still win it. That's why when their goalie plays even league average or above, they sweep teams like they did San Jose. That was one of the prototypical teams for this era of hockey. This is why you don't spend 7 million on a goaltender or go out looking for a savior for an entire team's defense in the one player that depends most on the quality of that defense. I don't understand why people still want to do that. Attack the problem, not the result of the problem.

I think that's what a lot of people are forgetting that bash Crawford, complain the he or Emery didn't get a shutout, didn't "steal a game" (I count no less than 5 games each that the goalies stole or kept from becoming a massacre), or has to bail out the d. How many times per game in the regular season has the oppostion got 3-4 whacks at a puck from close range? How many times per year has the D made an outlet pass right to a defender causing an odd-man rush or a breakaway? How many times has a forward coughted up the puck at either blueline trying to skate through 2-4 defenders, again, leading to an odd-man rush or a breakaway?



I'm not saying Craw or Emery are Vezina caliber, but fair is fair here: if you're having guys on the team who have worn a letter at some time in the past making mistakes they teach you not to do in team D 101, your goalie, no matter if he's Hannu Toivenen or Hašek, is not going to get a goosegg. And, with the exception of O'donnell or Lepisto, we're not icing scrubs on the blueline, it's just horrible play by some estabished characters--usually trying to be too fancy or too cute.

 

[supraman]

I will say this watching a goalie play off his ass is really entertaining. I think that was Huet's problem he wasn't very entertaining. Hell Turco when he's on is entertaining. Positional goalies are just boring to watch. That's why I loved Niemi guy was flopping all over the place and made a lot of saves look big when really they were routine.

 

[Variable]

I think the NHL is as much to blame as anything else in how people view goalies (and position players) in general. They still perpetuate and pass off horrible outdated views and cliches as if they were still relevant or mattered, if they ever were to begin with. It's just bad. When was the last time you heard about win threshold in a game or on Hockey Dinosaur's Corner? I'll answer: Never. And that's a better predictor of goalie/team success than anything else they like to throw at you on a daily basis like a goalie's W-L records, how many shut outs he has, fucking GAA. It's ridiculous. An alternative doesn't even exist as far as I know. If it does, I haven't found it yet, other than some websites and in just doing the math myself.

 

[supraman]

I think the NHL is as much to blame as anything else in how people view goalies (and position players) in general. They still perpetuate and pass off horrible outdated views and cliches as if they were still relevant or mattered, if they ever were to begin with. It's just bad. When was the last time you heard about win threshold in a game or on Hockey Dinosaur's Corner? I'll answer: Never. And that's a better predictor of goalie/team success than anything else they like to throw at you on a daily basis like a goalie's W-L records, how many shut outs he has, fucking GAA. It's ridiculous. An alternative doesn't even exist as far as I know. If it does, I haven't found it yet, other than some websites and in just doing the math myself.

To sum it up, goalie stats don't mean dick. Which I agree with. They don't consider shot quality, defensive breakdowns, breakaway goals, screens. Also goalie win/loss is the worst stat of them all. So if he lets in one and his team fails to score, it is his fault? No it isn't it is the fault of the offense for failing to score anything.



Wait I just agreed with Variable? OSGOOD FOREVER!!! *commits seppuku*

 

[Variable]

I don't entirely agree with that. There are stats that matter, you just have to find out the qualifiers for them. Is it harder to do that? Yep, sure is, especially with the complete lack of recognition and, in some cases, insults the leading NHL analysts and figure heads give it.Doesn't mean it's bad though. Furthers understanding of what really matters and what really doesn't, that's always a plus for me. Baseball has that, football to a degree has that, with basketball it's slowing coming along starting to pick up more steam, but with hockey they're still barely out of the fucking jungle. Still trying to create fire and make sun dials.

 

[klemmer]

This will turn out to be less than an intelligent move. Neither of the two between the pipes are at best #2's. The signing could have waited, I don't think there are any lineups waiting to sign him. Hope the summer brings a clear head to management...they need it!

wow. do you actually believe the shit you write?

 

[Rex]

wow. do you actually believe the shit you write?

he's the type of guy that was on my team growing up. My fault when we lost 1-0. Team game if we won 1-0



people just don't understand what is the most important position in the game.

 

[MassHavoc]

At least it was cheap, and cheap enough that if he shits the bed in comes Hutton. I don't think Emery is the answer but for that price you sign him. Even if you trade him later.

 

[Mach29]

They should focus up anf sign Oduya - go all out and sign him for two years!