Huet Could Dampen Hawks Best Laid Plans

Cristobal Huet was supposed to be the Blackhawks big free agent signing. Dale Tallon inked the goalie who helped secure the 3-seed for the Capitals in last year's playoffs to a five year, twenty five million dollar contract.

He was supposed to be the goalie to take over for Nikolai Khabibulin. The Blackhawks even placed the Russian goaltender on waivers to make way for the Frenchman to take over between the pipes. The team did everything it could to get rid of Huet's competition.

Since Khabibulin couldn't be dealt, the Hawks entered the 2008-2009 season hoping to platoon both number one netminders. The one that played better would get the bulk of the playing time.

It was obvious that the organization was rooting hard for Huet to win the battle. And why not? Khabby was on his way out. Huet was supposed to be the goalie of the future.

Whoops.

Khabibulin won the number one goalie spot without much of a contest. He has posted a 7-1-4 record in 13 games this season. Until going down with an injury on November 26th, he hadn't lost in regulation since the season's second game, a 4-2 loss in Washington.

His .923 save percentage ranks 12th in the NHL this season, and he's 17th in the league in goals against average (2.46). For a Blackhawks team that has lit the lamp 77 times this season, which is the sixth best total in the league, Khabby has been effective enough to keep his team in the win column more often than not.

Huet on the other hand has been a huge disappointment. Huet is 4-5-2 this year, and other than a 1-0 loss in Anaheim November 28th, he has given up goals in the most inopportune times. With his win yesterday, it was his first since he was forced into the starting role, and his first since a November 9th 6-1 win against Calgary.

If Huet continues to struggle, the Blackhawks will have a major decision to make before the trading deadline in February--which goaltender leads this team in the future? Since the salary cap won't allow them to keep two number one goalies making number one money on the roster, one of them has to go.

Khabibulin becomes a free agent at the end of the season, so the obvious choice would be to keep Huet. With the money he's making, it would be nearly impossible for Tallon to move him. But if the GM lets Khabibulin walk at the end of the season, with the way he's played, he's asking for a disaster in 2010.

The Blackhawks have had an enormous resurgence this season with John McDononough and his marketing team leading the way. They're selling out on a nightly basis, they're reviving their old fan base and creating a new one. But if the team doesn't win, the hype will slowly slip away, and they'll find themselves back off the map of Chicago sports teams. Now, the hockey decisions are just as important as which player to feature in their newest ad campaign.

If it means they need to pony up and pay Khabibulin next season, so be it. If this team truly wants to win, which everyone from the players and coaches all the way up through McDonough and Chairman Rocky Wirtz have promised, then difficult decisions like this are crucial to their long term success. If Khabibulin and Huet continue on thier current paths, then they'll have to admit to their mistake. There's no question that the Bulin Wall is outplaying his expensive competition.

That's why they need Huet to step up, not only for his own sake, but for the Blackhawks sake. The Huet that went 32-14-6 last season for Montreal and Washington needs to resurface. The Huet that played so well down the stretch last season, the Huet that played himself into the big contract the Blackhawks gave him this season needs to return to form.

If he doesn't, and the Hawks let the Bulin Wall leave, the Blackhawks will crumble in the crease.