Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The Caps Have a Goalie!!!

Breaking news out of Washington and it is BIG. The Washington Capitals have acquired Cristobal Huet for a 2nd round pick in 2009 -- still leaving the Capitals with three 2nd round picks this year and one next year. The Capitals added a 2nd round pick in '09 when they sent Brian Sutherby to Anaheim. That basically means the Capitals traded Brian Sutherby straight up for Cristobal Huet. George McPhee suddenly looks like a GREAT general manager. But just how good is this deal for the Caps?

Keith Jones, analyst on TSN, says, "I'm shocked. I don't think [Montreal] got enough for Huet. I think he's a terrific goaltender...he's a solidifying influence in goal."

Huet, due to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, has been Montreal's top goaltender since the lockout. His 2.55 GAA and .916 save percentage this season (nearly identical to his career marks) resemble a huge improvement over the numbers Capitals fans have grown accustomed to this season.

The combination of Olie Kolzig and Brent Johnson ranked the Capitals 29th among 30 teams in the NHL in save percentage, 25th in GAA, and tied for last with only one shutout -- and that was the second game of the season. Kolzig himself ranks 43rd (dead last) in save percentage whereas Huet ranks 11th.

It has become quite clear that substandard goaltending has held the Capitals back all season long. Neither Kolzig nor Johnson performed effectively on any consistent level to establish themselves as the man to carry the team into the postseason. The Capitals appear to have found someone who can.

Huet, the NHL's third star for the month of January, has limited playoff experience but performed exceptionally well in his lone appearance. Though Huet lost his only playoff series in six games back in 2005-06, his 2.33 GAA and .929 save percentage were certainly good enough to have carried a team (that can score) past the first round.

Huet has struggled a bit of late, but the Capitals have firsthand seen him at his best. Huet turned in two 35 save efforts against the Caps this season -- both wins -- one of which was a shutout. But Washington has also seen him play poorly. In the second of back to back games, the first of which was the aforementioned shutout, Huet gave up five goals on 38 Capitals shots in an overtime loss to the Caps earlier this month.

The most telling story of the trade, however, involves Huet's first 35 save performance against Washington on December 20th. The Capitals had all kinds of scoring chances, significantly outplayed the Habs in every aspect, yet lost 5-2. Kolzig, the man likely to be supplanted by the trade, was in net for the Caps. He managed only 16 stops on 21 shots, many of which were not good quality. That was two points in the standings that the Capitals would really like to have right now. And that's just a microcosm of the way the Caps have been consistently outplayed in goal this year.

So the move leaves Washington with three veteran goaltenders, at least for now. This may mean that Kolzig, a pending UFA in his own right, may be on his way to Ottawa or elsewhere. We'll have to wait and see if McPhee can fleece anyone else on deadline day. Just by the way, Sergei Fedorov has also been rumored to be headed to D.C. Interesting...

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