Khabibulin Clears Waivers, Why Hasn’t Anyone Taken a Chance?

Twenty-nine teams had a shot a a top-tier goaltender, who won the Stanley Cup no less than 4 seasons ago, and every single one passed on him. Now that doesn’t mean the twenty-nine teams thought they wouldn’t improve if they took Nikolai Khabibulin, there are about 5 teams I can name off the top of my head that would benefit greatly from the addition of Khabibulin (*cough Nashville,Ottawa,Detroit,Boston,Colorado *cough*). Sure, if you force the Blackhawks to release Khabibulin then you can reduce the hefty price tag of 6.75 Million, but then he’ll be free to sign anywhere he wants. If you’re a struggling team, then don’t bet on him coming your way.

My explantion is that General Managers are afraid of taking risks. Mis-managing the cap can lead to tough decisions, and may cost them their job.

Although the addition of Khabibulin may boost the club’s talent level, GMs aren’t willing to sacrifice that much money under the cap. They would rather take the risk and sign him on an open market, or trade for him, dumping some salary in return. We’ve seen this time and time again, with both big and small name players.

Where will Khabby end up? That’s yet to be seen. Hopefully it’s somewhere where they need him, as it was clear he wasn’t needed in Chicago. I’m just hoping the place doesn’t end up being Russia. He is far too talented to let go. He left once before during a salary dispute, in the 1999-2000 season, so I’m sure he wouldn’t hesitate leaving now.

To the twenty-nine General Managers in the league who can get Khabibulin, do it! Get him! He’s well worth the risk!

Tags: blackhawks, chicago, goaltending, khabibulin, waivers