Analysis: Theodore signing comes as big surprise

Jose Theodore was low-balled by the Avalanche, but will earn $4.5 per season as Washington's new starter. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)

Ken Campbell
2008-07-01 15:38:09

Now this is a strange one. Cristobal Huet seemed to be a terrific fit for the Washington Capitals and the way Jose Theodore played down the stretch, he looked to be a great fit for the Colorado Avalanche.

Instead, Theodore signed with the Capitals for two years at $9 million and Huet is still left looking for a team.

Up until today, it looked as though a deal for Huet was going to get done. The prevailing wisdom suggested Huet would be signed for three years at $15 million, but obviously something went off the rails.

“We thought it was a good fit and Washington handled the negotiations very professionally,” Huet’s agent Steve Bartlett told thn.com. “I have no jabs against them at all. Sometimes the best-laid plans don’t work out. It fell apart and we just hit a couple of snags we couldn’t get past.”

The Capitals, obviously concerned that losing a goalie of Huet’s ability would derail what looks like a promising team, struck quickly on Theodore, who couldn’t come to terms with the Avalanche, who apparently low-balled the former Hart Trophy winner with an offer in the $3 million-per-year range. Theodore’s camp maintained he was on par with Phoenix's Ilya Bryzgalov, whose cap hit will be $4.25 million each of the next two seasons.

The Avs, meanwhile, filled their goaltending hole by signing Maple Leafs castoff Andrew Raycroft, leaving them with a tandem of Peter Budaj and Raycroft next season.

Ugh.

ROLSTON INTEREST HIGH
Unrestricted free agent Brian Rolston still hadn’t found a home as of 3:15 p.m, Tuesday, but Bartlett described the interest in the former Minnesota Wild forward as “overwhelming.”

“In all my years in the business, I’ve never seen this much interest from this many teams for one of my players before,” Bartlett said.