HabsCast Hockey Blog

It’s no secret that Montreal has more than their fair share of quality netminders. So much so that Jaroslav Halak, a goalie who could suit up as number two on most clubs, is playing in the AHL to start the season.

Cristobal Huet and Carey Price currently sit as the Habs’ top two in Montreal, but the first question I bring to you in this week’s edition of the Drive to 25 is who will be the Canadiens’ netminder when they win their next Stanley Cup?

Now, most wouldn’t hesitate if you posed the question “Who is Montreal’s goalie of the future?” The answer is simple: Carey Price.

If Price is the goalie of the future, then he would surely be the goalie in net whenever it is Montreal wins the cup, as long as it’s a few years from now. But what about this year?

Cristobal Huet is currently in the final year of the two-year contract extension he signed before last season. If Huet can continue his dominance in the crease and mimic his All-Star performance from last year, he’ll be due for a raise.

There are a number of reasons why re-signing Huet for another season or more seems impossible for the Canadiens, and the France native is surely aware.

It’s plausible that Cristobal could make anywhere from three to four million dollars next season. With the Canadiens already creeping up on the current cap limit, it would be hard to imagine being able to keep the 32-year-old on board at that price.

Speaking of price, I’ve already asserted that Carey Price is the goalie of the future. So, when does he play? It’s still early in the season with only two games played for the Habs thus far, but the time to test out their blue-chip goaltender is approaching quickly.

What happens if Price plays strong and earns another start? The Canadiens’ management should be reluctant to hold back the club’s top prospect from getting valuable ice time, but don’t want to keep their $2.75M veteran netminder sitting too long either.

I believe Huet makes an excellent starter and considering all he’s achieved to this point in his career, he’s a true underdog hero that people just can’t help but love. However, at the end of the line, business is business.

In the hockey world, especially the one in which GM Bob Gainey is building in Montreal, you’ve got to go with your young talent when it’s ready to ensure the best possible outcome for the future.

Should Huet be seeking big money in the off-season – and he’d deserve it too – there is no reason for the Canadiens to hold onto him with Price and Halak waiting in the wings – both capable NHL starters in the future whose combined contracts would still be less than Huet alone.

With this said, I believe it is a serious possibility that Gainey will field offers inquiring about Huet. If Price is ready to start at an NHL level and can win games to boot, there’s no reason to lose Huet for nothing in the off-season when the team can move him for help in another department when his stock is high.

One downside to losing Huet would be the loss of a mentor and veteran influence for whichever young netminder is backing him up or taking the reigns. Cristobal has seen his share of hockey and knows what it’s like to make his way from the AHL to the NHL as both a backup and a starter and play good enough to earn himself a spot in an All-Star Game.

While it would be great to have Huet serve as a Jeff Hackett did with Jose Theodore, number 39 is simply too good a goalie for that role and has several more years left in his career than Hackett did during that time.

If Huet has a clear achilles heel, it would be his injury trouble. The goaltender has yet to play out an entire NHL season and one could argue that the reason he suffered a hamstring injury last season was that the netminder had been overworked.

This season is different because the Canadiens have what should be a more capable backup in Price than they did last year with David Aebisher.

Price will have his chance, whether it is sooner or later. If he plays well, you have to believe that the writing on the wall will be crystal clear for Huet.

RDS analyst and the last man to coach the Canadiens to a Cup, Jacques Demers, said it best when he claimed that the next time Montreal wins a Stanley Cup, Carey Price would be in goal. If the 20-year-old can obtain the net this season – that Cup may be a lot closer than we think.

Thanks again for reading this week’s edition of the Drive to 25. Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians and a “Go Habs Go!” for Habs’ fans everywhere!

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