The Hockey News: Brian Costello's blog: THN.com Blog: Huet still not among my top half

THN.com Blog: Huet still not among my top half

Cristobal Huet will battle Nikolai Khabibulin for the starting job in Chicago next season. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)

Brian Costello
2008-07-06 00:18:56

Who knew Cristobal Huet was so popular.

Since mentioning him on my list of the top 10 confusing signings of the free agent season, I’ve been bombarded with feedback from fans who now want me drawn and quartered.

I said I don’t rank Huet among the top 10 or 15 goalies in the NHL, an opinion I strongly stand by. It’s not so much a criticism against Huet as it is a reflection of how strong goaltending is in the NHL these days.

Now with Chicago and signed for four years to earn $5.625 million per season, Huet ranks middle-of-the-pack among NHL starters in my opinion. I realize he was among league leaders in save percentage this past season and I’m a huge believer in the save percentage stat.

The fact of the matter is if I’m an NHL GM and I’m starting up a team and I have one year to win a championship, Huet is not among the top 10 goalies I’d pick to be my starter.

Here are 10 goalies I wouldn’t hesitate picking before Huet: Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, Miikka Kiprusoff, Evgeni Nabokov, Henrik Lundqvist, J-S Giguere, Ryan Miller, Ilya Bryzgalov, Tomas Vokoun and Marty Turco.

I’d probably even pick some of this next tier of goalies before Huet: Niklas Backstrom, Vesa Toskala, Marc-Andre Fleury, Rick DiPietro, Tim Thomas, Chris Osgood, Carey Price, Cam Ward, Martin Biron and Kari Lehtonen. That’s why Huet may not be among my top 15.

There are other good goalies out there as well: Jose Theodore, Pascal Leclaire, Manny Legace, Nikolai Khabibulin, Manny Fernandez, Mathieu Garon, Jaroslav Halak, Josh Harding, Chris Mason, Dwayne Roloson, Mike Smith, Dan Ellis. It’s a very deep field.

Not including Huet among the top 10 doesn’t conflict with what NHL GMs think, either. Huet finished eighth in Vezina Trophy voting this past season. He wasn’t among the top 10 (and didn’t receive any voting points) in 2005-06 or 2006-07 Vezina voting. The 30 NHL GMs do the voting for the Vezina.

‘ELITE’ GOALIES
Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero made an interesting, carefully worded comment after signing Marc-Andre Fleury to a seven-year $35-million contract.

Related Links

Shero called Fleury “one of the elite goaltenders of the game.”

At first blush, Shero is embellishing. Fleury is good, has excellent potential, but clearly isn’t one of the top four or five goalies in the NHL right now.

But then when you think about it, there must be thousands of goaltenders worldwide. Far fewer than one percent of all goalies have the ability to play pro hockey. Of that very select group, maybe only one-tenth of them have the ability to play in the NHL.

So yes indeed, Fleury is among the elite goaltenders in the game. So is Andrew Raycroft. So is Patrick Lalime. So are Curtis Sanford and Joey MacDonald. Any goalie who can manage to play in the NHL is truly among the elite.

NO BOTTLE DRIVE
Don’t feel bad for Curtis Joseph having to settle for just $700,000 this coming season as Vesa Toskala’s backup in Toronto.

Joseph has made more than $50 million over the course of his 20-year career and at 41 is the game’s elder statesman between the pipes. CuJo moved ahead of Terry Sawchuk and into fourth place in all-time goaltender victories with 449 in Calgary this past season.

Making the top three in wins won’t happen – Joseph is 35 wins behind Ed Belfour – but CuJo is sure to be a fan favorite again in his twilight season.

Expect Martin Brodeur to pass Patrick Roy in all-time wins (551) sometime in late November. Brodeur has 13 more to go.

Brian Costello is The Hockey News’s senior special editions editor and a regular contributor to THN.com. You can read his Top 10 list on Wednesdays and his blog each weekend.

For more great profiles, news and views from the world of hockey, Subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.

COMMENTS (31)

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habs fan Posted
(2009-04-30 07:14:23)

Why don't you just list every goalie to ever play in the NHL. That seems to be your only knowledge of hockey. Memorize some more names. Huet is better than most those goalies you listed. He mainly happens to be better than Carey Price. i Don't know how you can be such a believer in the save percentage stat if you can ignore how Huet is among the top five in save percentage since the lockout.

Jokiduc Posted
(2009-04-30 06:36:10)

Huet is the best !!!!! Go Hawks!!!! Vive la France

Bouche Posted
(2009-04-30 06:33:34)

Matin Brodeur is the greatest goalie of all time. He will break anearly every record in record time. He is not the product of a system or a team. He was the only superstar NJ ever had. NJ neverhad a high powered offense. Before last year it was,: Marty is just good because of the team he played for. He'll drop off when the devs start losing players like gomez and rafalski. He had a stellar season! "He's too old."they say. Can you say Vezina Trophy? again. Huet is not fit to wash marty's jock strp never mind wear it.

Martin Brodeur Posted
(2009-04-30 06:33:13)

Here's to hoping a piano falls on Tom as he walks down the street...

James Smigiel Posted
(2009-04-30 06:33:12)

Huet has brought each team as a starter to the playoffs. To say that he wil l push Khabibulan is cleche. That is the purpose of a backup. If Khabibulan should have enough motivation as it is to play for his future. In the last year of a contract as an aging goaltender isn't really much to sit back and collect on. Huet will push Khabibulan knowing that eventually he will be the starter. The signing still doesn't make a lot of sense seeing as how Corey Crawford was supposed to come in next season, back up Khabibulan, then take over the starting position. Right now, as a Hawks fan, I trust what that front office is doing; outlandish or not. The prosepcts are there, the team has improved and we will only see the benefits come in time for the playoff push.

Tom Posted
(2009-04-30 06:33:12)

Here's to hoping Brodeur gets injured before he takes over Roy. Salut!

michael frysinger Posted
(2009-04-30 06:33:09)

I'm a Canadiens fan and do like Huet. However, he isn't always dependable nor is he consistent. Whoever said he stops the difficult ones and lets the easy go through is close to the truth. Unless he begins to focus better for ALL 3 periods, he will never reach his full potential. And since I also like the Blackhawks, hope he does a better job there than in Montreal.

tom n. Posted
(2009-04-30 06:33:08)

martin brodeur is still an elite goalie? please. bounced in the first round...again. the man is old, old, old, and the devils won't make the playoffs for 5 years after he finally retires. it's time to stop the "martin man crush."

THE Hawks' fan Posted
(2009-04-30 06:33:08)

Huet is a solid goaltender who can make game changing saves, something that the youthful Blackhawks will need, and plus, he'll probably provide a lot more consistency that Khabibulin, who's a UFA after this season.

33roy Posted
(2009-04-30 06:33:06)

J'esperai bien que les Av's irai le chercher mais il est a chicago je pense qu'il est l'un des plus important gardien de la NHL car il a toujours su prouvé partout ou il est passé qu'on pouvait lui faire confiance . Alors vivement l'année prochaine qu'il fasse remonté les hawks en hauts de tableau .

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