"While it’s rare for a team that already has a No. 1 goalie under contract to make such a bold offer to another clear-cut No. 1 goalie on the free-agent market, it’s also rare for the free agent to sign knowing playing time was not part of the guarantee."Huet is apparently a different breed." - Dan Rosen, NHL.com
Not all that different, really - the money is still part of the guarantee, oui?
H/t HCTH
6 comments:
I think the contract negotiations between Chicago and Huet probably went something like this:
Chicago: We'll pay you $22.4 million over 4 years.
Huet: Dollars? Ok, deal.
Based on the fact that Huet left a better team and better fan support behind for the Blackhawks, I think this contract had nothing to do with anything but money. Don't get me wrong, Chicago is on the rise, but I don't think the fact that Chicago already has Khabi played into Huet's thought process at all. This was Huet's last big chance at a FA contract, and they offered up a big 'un.
Didn't Huet say that he wanted to be the #1 guy for a team. He said he had never been the #1 guy, he said he's always shared the starters role.
It was all bull****. He left for money, and only money. He doesn't care about playing time.
Chicago is on the rise. Campbell, Bowman are there... It's definitely not just money. Plus he got more years. However bitter it is, we all should be thankful for what he has done for Caps. W/o him the Caps would not get the priceless playoff experience. And it is priceless.
Of course money is a factor. But we don't really know how that negotiation went with GMGM. From the time line as to deals being announced, Theodore was signed by the Caps before Huet was signed by the Hawks. From what I've read, Huet had around 15 teams with an offer on the table. Chicago most likely had the best deal for the terms, but you can't ignore where they stand as a team. I've been a Hawks fan for almost 20 years and I've never seen such a buzz about what they're doing.
@ Jason
A better team? I think these two teams would play a fun, exciting and very close 7 game series. Better fan support? The Hawks had a fan convention a couple of weeks ago that drew more than 8000 people, wearing their jerseys in 90 degree weather and it was the talk of the city even though both the Sox and Cubs were in 1st place. Chicago has been dormant for a decade due to poor management and ineptitude on the ice but the things they've done in less than a calendar year compares with Lazarus waking from the dead.
thats right jh, BETTER TEAM!
@tj: Neither Campbell nor Bowman had signed with Chicago yet when Huet did. It's the money.
I normally am fully supportive of free agents taking the best offer they can get. The problem here was with all of Huet's talk ahead of time, which turned out to mean nothing.
It's the money.
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