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
At the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins decided to make Marc-Andre Fleury the second goalie ever to be drafted first overall. The first, of course, being Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders. Both of those goaltenders had something else in common at the beginning of the 2007-2008 season. They had not lived up to the hype of a first overall pick, unlike other first round picks like Ilya Kovalchuk and Rick Nash (despite injuries).
This year Fleury hopes to build on the success of last year. Having guys like Malkin and Crosby shooting in the other direction sure helps. Ty Conklin moved on and signed with Detroit, so that allows Dany Sabourin to sneak into the backup role. This upcoming season for Marc-Andre Fleury is an exciting one. He has complete confidence from his coaches and teammates for the first time in a while, and now has confidence in himself. A strong playoff experience can work wonders on players, especially young goaltenders like Fleury.
General Manager Bob Gainey raised more than a few eyebrows when he traded away star netminder Cristobal Huet at the trading deadline last season. Montreal was well on their way to the playoffs, and was ready to do some serious damage. Why would they be selling at the deadline?
Price has the skill and the mind to be one of the top goaltenders in the league for years to come, and he may reach that plateau sooner than fans may think. Next year I expect Price to lead the way in many of the stat categories for goaltenders, surpassing perennial all-stars such as Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo. It’s not as far-fetched as it seems. Carey Price is a once-in-a-generation type of goaltender, and I expect big things out of him this year.