Cristobal Huet (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Rumors surfaced this morning that Cristobal Huet was in talks to sign a one-year deal with Fribourg-Gotteron of the Swiss League. The plan is to loan his services to a team in Europe, but send his contract to Rockford (AHL) after he clears waivers, which he would. His $5,625,000 salary-cap hit would no longer be on the books as a result. According to the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA), this is 100% kosher.
The Washington Capitals did the same thing with Michael Nylander last season. Nylander played 24 games in the AHL with the Grand Rapid Griffins, but made the move to Finland mid-season. The situation differs in that Huet would be in the Swiss League when the season starts, and Bowman hasn’t kept his intentions in regards to Huet a secret. The rumored deal, however, would only cover one of the remaining two years left on Huet’s contract.
With the size of his contract, loaning Huet to a European team is the only option. The Blackhawks weren’t going to find a trade partner – especially in the goalie market this off-season. In the salary-cap era, buying out his contract or keeping him on the roster weren’t viable options either. Under the CBA, renegotiating contracts is prohibited, which he probably would do if it meant he could stay in the NHL.
I’m not going to lie, I sort of feel bad for the guy. Never have I been a fan of his, but Huet is a NHL-caliber goaltender. If his cap hit wasn’t so high, he would be a No. 1 goalie somewhere in the league – possibly with the Blackhawks. The validity of this particular rumor doesn’t matter much – Huet is as good as gone. Marty Turco ($1,300,000) and Corey Crawford ($800,000) will man the pipes in Chicago in 2010.
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