Cristobal Huet Blows Last Chance Against Philly, Heading to Rockford

The most demoralizing thing a young, talented team can go through is completely dominating play early only to have the lead they worked so hard to establish melt away when their goaltender gives up soft goals. 

If the netminder gets beat—that's one thing.  But soft, out of position goals that result from the other team simply throwing the puck on net, because your goalie is known for giving up soft goals, take the wind out of your sails faster than Adam Burish making his presence felt after being out all year.

If you're a young, talented yet still developing team like the Blackhawks —soft play in the pipes simply cannot be allowed to stunt your overall maturation.  In baseball it's the young teams with a proven closer that occasionally surprise the league because they've got someone to get...well...saves.

Everyone else getting ice time is fighting for every shift.  And yet, the stunned silence that happened in the Madhouse during the second period against Detroit will likely happen again as long as the Blackhawks keep hoping Chistobal Huet will somehow overcome his nerves, stop giving up demoralizing soft goals and get hot enough to carry them deep into a playoff run.

It's sad to say, and even more heart wrenching to see, but it's in his head and we don't have time to allow him to work it out.  It's obvious to see that Huet is already beaten in his own mind whenever the slightest bit of pressure to take a stranglehold on the position squashes his performance into looking like a manic, twitching nervous wreck. 

It's the NHL goalie version of the Blass/Ankiel affect, and we've been waiting too long for a contender not to recognize it and do something about it.

It's time to pull the plug on Huet completely, and don't be surprised if he plays badly in Philly that the Hawks send him down to Rockford, cut their losses and leave him there. 

All of the talk going into the Olympics and just before the trade deadline wasn't because unloading Huet's salary would put the Hawks in better position next year.  That buzz was generated by everyone recognizing that while the rest of the team is playing at Stanley Cup caliber, the Hawks' netminders are not.  The focus was on Huet, because this was Huet's job to lose since the opening game, and he's done just that—lost it!

Since playing himself to the bench and opening the door for Niemi, Huet has been given every opportunity to take a stranglehold on the No. 1 goalie position and has choked every time.  This was all accomplished on a league-leading team that, because of their puck control style, gives up fewer shots than most teams in the league. 

If Huet plays badly in Philly Stan Bowman will have to ask what on earth makes anyone believe that—if Huet cannot take the heat in the regular season—that he wouldn't crack even further under the increased pressure of the playoffs?

If that’s the Hawks’ reality—and at this point it is—then why not go all in?  Send Huet to Rockford and hope someone signs him off waivers.  Then let Niemi and Crawford carry the team as far as they can.  If Bowman is lucky enough to have someone sign Huet away, then he has a chance to realize more salary cap relief than trading the guy!   

Sending Huet down would tell the Hawks' young core that their fate is in their hands, and that Quenneville is going to give ice time to those who earn it, which puts everyone in the best position to win—no matter if it means eating salary. 

As far as ever having trouble bringing him back, the Hawks, similar to the Blue Jays hoping someone would take Alex Rios off their hands last year, should be ready, willing and enable that to happen.  Hell, it may be the only way we get Huet's contract off the books. 

Teams like this don't come around too often...especially in Chicago, and hopefully the main goal is to put the best team on the ice—regardless of salary.   Everyone else has to earn ice time with their performance.  If that's the case in the net...and not because of the salary investment...then Huet should be on his way to Rockford. 

Will Bowman take heat by sending Huet down—yes.  But he’d take heat regardless of how Niemi played going into the playoffs.  That said, if Niemi plays well and Huet is off the Hawks' books, it'll be considered the move that kept the young core together.  Considering Huet's inability to win the starting job outright—in the regular season—sending him to Rockford and rushing the development of Niemi and Crawford seems like a good gamble.

The Hawks will have to decide on Niemi after the season, since he's a UFA.  Giving him the job now is like playing him in a contract year.   And bringing up Crawford gives us a real look at the guy who is supposed to be our future.  It's a ballsy move, but one that could set this team up for several years.