Ducks general manager Bob Murray on Thursday said goalie Jonas Hiller will resume skating in July as he attempts to recover from the vertigo symptoms that kept him out much of the second half of the 2010-11 season.

Hiller made just two appearances after the vertigo first surfaced before a Feb. 2 game against San Jose after he took part in his first All-Star game. Persistent symptoms kept him from playing for the Ducks in their playoff series against Nashville.

Murray said he spoke with Hiller last week and the two agreed that he should return the ice and take shots in goal when he appears at former Ducks goaltending coach Francois Allaire's camp in Switzerland.

"He's fine," Murray said. "He's in good spirits. We talked about a couple of things. He'll be skating on the ice sometime around the middle of July.

"He'll be doing a camp early in the week and then skate with some pros after that."

Hiller's uncertain situation apparently will not play a role in re-signing Ray Emery as Murray indicated that he has not spoken with Emery's agent, J.P. Barry. Barry did not return messages left by the Register.

Murray might not be making much of an effort to bring back Emery, who came back from a serious knee injury last season and became the Ducks' lead goalie down the stretch and in the playoffs.

Emery, a an unrestricted free agent on July 1, figures to be seeking a one-way NHL contract with a team that will give him an opportunity to start after going 7-2 with a 2.28 goals-against average in nine regular-season starts.

The Ducks already have Dan Ellis in the fold as he is signed for 2011-12 at $1.5 million. Hiller is under contract through 2014 at $4.5 million annually, which doesn't leave much room for Emery.

"I haven't really thought about it at this time," Murray said when asked about re-signing Emery. "We have Jonas and Dan Ellis. Until something tells me we don't have that, then I'll deal with that."

Murray said the presence of Ellis, a former starter in Nashville and Tampa Bay, "makes it easier at the moment" to deal with the goaltending situation. The Ducks could turn to bringing in another goalie later in the summer if Hiller doesn't show signs of improvement.

Also Thursday, Murray would not directly address the subject of restricted free-agent forwards Dan Sexton, Kyle Chipchura and Nick Bonino other than to say that "some offers have been made to some people."

"Nothing to report at this time," he said.


Hogy Hiller visszatérni látszik az nagyon biztató, de koránt sem garantált még, hogy be fog válni. Mindenesetre egy Hiller-Ellis páros nagyon tetszene év közben, mert Ellisre több meccset lehet bízni, mint McElhinneyre és talán RC se fog ugyanabba a hibába esni. Persze ehhez még mindig kell az, hogy a svájci végleg felépüljön! Ha ez megtörténik, akkor Emerynek nagyon hálásak vagyunk amiatt, hogy bebiztosította nekünk a PO-ot és az ott mutatott teljesítményéért, de mindenkinek az lesz a legjobb, ha távozik. Nem is lesz úgy hely fenn neki és nagy valószínűséggel ő se AHL-ben akar játszani. RFA-kal kapcsolatban meg nagyon titokzatos Murray, de érthető. Minden estre úgy tűnik, hogy pár távozó előfordulhat majd.


ETEM USA IVITE

Top Ducks prospect Emerson Etem is among the 40 skaters invited to the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp, which will take place Aug. 6-13 in Lake Placid, N.Y. The camp will help determine the team for the 2012 World Junior Championships.

Also on the initial roster are forwards Chase Balisy (Rancho Santa Margarita), Rocco Grimaldi (Rossmoor), Shane McColgan (Manhattan Beach) and Matt Nieto (Long Beach).


Megérdemelte a meghívást. Szinte biztos vagyok benne, hogy ott lesz a VB-n, hacsaknem a nagy csapatban fog játszani, aminek egyelőre nem sok esélye van.