▁the ▁Sen ators ▁defeated ▁the ▁Pitts burgh ▁P engu ins , ▁New ▁Jersey ▁Dev ils ▁and ▁Buff alo ▁Sab res ▁each ▁in ▁five - game ▁series ▁en ▁route ▁to ▁their ▁first ▁Stanley ▁Cup ▁Final ▁appearance ▁since ▁the ▁team ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁where ▁the ▁Sen ators ▁ultimately ▁lost ▁to ▁the ▁Ana heim ▁D uck s ▁in ▁five ▁games . ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁restricted ▁free ▁agent ▁after ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁season ▁and ▁file d ▁for ▁sal ary ▁arbitr ation , ▁later ▁agree ing ▁to ▁a ▁three - year ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁Sen ators ▁worth ▁  mill ion ▁before ▁the ▁hear ings ▁were ▁held . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁pre - season ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 – 0 8 ▁campaign , ▁Em ery ▁had ▁suffered ▁a ▁w rist ▁injury ▁that ▁limited ▁him ▁to ▁just ▁ 4 0   min utes ▁of ▁the ▁pre - season ▁and ▁forced ▁him ▁to ▁miss ▁several ▁games ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁Sen ators ' ▁season . ▁On ▁April ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Murray ▁announced ▁to ▁the ▁media ▁in ▁an ▁end - of - season ▁press ▁conference ▁that ▁Em ery ▁would ▁not ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁Sen ators ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 – 0 9 ▁season . ▁On ▁June ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Em ery ▁was ▁wa ived ▁by ▁the ▁Sen ators ; ▁he ▁cleared ▁wa ivers ▁three ▁days ▁later ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁free ▁agent ▁as ▁a ▁result . ▁