TSN has learned that the Ottawa Senators and goaltender Ray Emery have avoided salary arbitration by reaching a last minute three-year contract agreement worth $9.5 milliion.

Emery was happy to avoid the arbitration process and the knowledge he will remain in the nation's capital:

"I'm more excited by the fact I'm staying in Ottawa long term and will have the opportunity to see the team fight to get back to the Stanley Cup final, so I guess it's less about being relieved and more about looking forward to the future."

''It was a difficult negotiation,'' Emery's agent J.P. Barry told The Canadian Press. ''Bryan and I started pretty far apart but we worked hard to close the gap and were able to do so this morning after Bryan was able to speak with Mr. Melnyk.''

The 24-year-old Emery was a restricted free agent. He will earn $2.75 million next season, $3.25 million in 2008-09 and $3.5 million in 2009-10, for an average of $3.16 million a season, a big raise over the $925,000 he made last season.

Emery enjoyed a career season last year as he replaced Martin Gerber as the number one man between the pipes for the Senators, helping lead the team to their first Stanley Cup finals appearance in modern history. Emery was 33-16-6 in 58 regular season games with a goals-against-average of 2.47. During the playoffs he was 13-7 with a 2.25 goals-against average.

The $3.16-million average for Emery eclipses the $2.66-million average salaries from Buffalo's Ryan Miller (signed last summer) and Carolina's Cam Ward and is less than the $4.25-million, one-year deal signed by New York Rangers starter Henrik Lundqvist.

Emery says he doesn't feel too much pressure having to live up to a two-million dollar raise:
"I'm going to play the same, the only way I know how and I don't care about the money, but recognize there's a responsibility that comes with it."

The Cayuga, Ontario native is currently recovering from wrist surgery and is unlikely to see game action until September.

I think it's a pretty good contract but they are now paying 2 goalies about $3million each.  I wonder if the have a deal in place to move Gerber and that's why this deal was able to be made.

lol worth 9.5 million he might have injury problems and not be able to prove he can live up to his 9.5 million