Comments on: Should the Blackhawks Buyout Cristobal Huet?

By: Russell Digiuseppe

Russell Digiuseppe — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 20:18:14 +0000

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By: Tab Bamford

Tab Bamford — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:19:39 +0000

Thanks for reading and commenting, John. I agree that this could be a last-ditch effort to cut cost, but it might be easier to stomach than trading Patrick Sharp or Kris Versteeg (although one of those might still be needed in this scenario). By buying out Huet, and factoring in Niemi’s current contract, the Hawks might be able to skate through part of next season w/ Niemi and a backup, maybe but doubtfully Crawford, for under $2M total, which would save the team still around $3M. I’m not sold on many of the free agents out there except maybe Halak, so paying one more than we would for Crawford might be unrealistic in this scenario, but making a trade during next season with a player for another netminder if Niemi doesn’t work out might be easier than moving Huet and his cap number, too. It’s a thought…

Again, thanks for reading and commenting!

By: John Jaeckel

John Jaeckel — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:42:45 +0000

Tab,

You asked for my opinion. So, you got it. :)

First, I commend you for doing the math and being realistic about the difficulty in dealing Huet and his contract. And I think you’re right that the net cut in salary needs to be around $10 million. Although my math says more like $12 million. “Net,” meaning a figure arrived at through gross salaries cut, minus the salaries of players either signed or promoted from Rockford to replace those lost players.

Two places where I think your argument takes on some water. First, even spreading the damage of the buyout over four years, nearly $2 million a season in dead cap space is just not something this team can remotely afford. Compounding that, with Niemi as #1 (which I believe he will be, regardless, after this season), you need to have a “1B” backup goalie on a team with a legitimate shot at a Cup, especially with Niemi still being relatively inexperienced at that point. Corey Crawford is not that. At least, he won’t be that next year. Maybe a Biron is, for example. So you have to pay that goalie something, too.

It’s a possibility. But I think the greater likelihood is Huet stays until the last year of his deal, THEN, he might get bought out or dealt to a team that needs a veteran for part of a season.