InGoal Magazine reported yesterday that Cristobal Huet, who has tended net in Switzerland the past two years, wants to make a comeback in the NHL.
He served out the second half of his four-year, $22.5 million contract in the Swiss league after Chicago, fresh off its 2010 Stanley Cup championship with Antti Niemi in goal, decided Huet’s play didn’t justify his cap hit.
Now an unrestricted free agent, Huet will peddle his services in a lukewarm free agent market which this year lacks a marquee goaltender. Among the UFA goalies already signed, aging star Martin Brodeur, underachieving up-and-comer Jonas Gustavsson, and established backup Johan Hedberg round out the best of an uninspiring list.
The pool of goalies still available includes former elites past their prime (42-year-old Dwayne Roloson and 36-year-old Marty Turco); one-time success stories who failed to pan out (Calder Trophy winner Andrew Raycroft); and backups who have shown flashes of brilliance (Ty Conklin, who in 2007-2008 threatened to usurp Marc-Andre Fleury’s starting spot) as well as those who have failed to distinguish themselves (Dany Sabourin, whose forgettable tenure also backing up Fleury preceded Conklin’s).
The UFA goalie with the most notable specialized skill may be Brent Johnson, a third former Fleury backup, who boasts the best knockout punch in NHL nets. He dropped Rick DiPietro with a single punch in a memorable, penalty-ridden game at Nassau Coliseum on February 2, 2011.
Given the available options, Huet is a reasonable prospect. He may not throw a punch like Brent Johnson, but he is one goalie on the market who never played second fiddle to Marc-Andre Fleury.
Covering the Puck 
Reading the Play: Huet Jumps into a Shallow Pool
Posted: July 10, 2012 | Author: Covering the Puck | Filed under: Reading the Play (Commentary) | Comments Off on Reading the Play: Huet Jumps into a Shallow PoolJuly 10, 2012
InGoal Magazine reported yesterday that Cristobal Huet, who has tended net in Switzerland the past two years, wants to make a comeback in the NHL.
He served out the second half of his four-year, $22.5 million contract in the Swiss league after Chicago, fresh off its 2010 Stanley Cup championship with Antti Niemi in goal, decided Huet’s play didn’t justify his cap hit.
Now an unrestricted free agent, Huet will peddle his services in a lukewarm free agent market which this year lacks a marquee goaltender. Among the UFA goalies already signed, aging star Martin Brodeur, underachieving up-and-comer Jonas Gustavsson, and established backup Johan Hedberg round out the best of an uninspiring list.
The pool of goalies still available includes former elites past their prime (42-year-old Dwayne Roloson and 36-year-old Marty Turco); one-time success stories who failed to pan out (Calder Trophy winner Andrew Raycroft); and backups who have shown flashes of brilliance (Ty Conklin, who in 2007-2008 threatened to usurp Marc-Andre Fleury’s starting spot) as well as those who have failed to distinguish themselves (Dany Sabourin, whose forgettable tenure also backing up Fleury preceded Conklin’s).
The UFA goalie with the most notable specialized skill may be Brent Johnson, a third former Fleury backup, who boasts the best knockout punch in NHL nets. He dropped Rick DiPietro with a single punch in a memorable, penalty-ridden game at Nassau Coliseum on February 2, 2011.
Given the available options, Huet is a reasonable prospect. He may not throw a punch like Brent Johnson, but he is one goalie on the market who never played second fiddle to Marc-Andre Fleury.