We couldn’t come to terms with Cristobal Huet even though we met his ask and NOT for a lack of trying. We became very concerned that this player just didn’t want to sign with us so we had to move quickly to sign a new number one goaltender. We believe that Jose Theodore will fit in nicely in DC. He is a former league MVP and a former Vezina Trophy winner and he led his team into the second round of the playoffs last season.
We still have work to do - more as it develops - but I feel good that we delivered a new, younger, number one starting goaltender today.
Tags: Hockey, Joe Theodore, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take, Vezina Trophy, Washington Capitals
Sad, but perhaps understandable, that Huet went to Chicago for the extra year rather than stay here with the far better chance of competing for the Cup. Getting Theodore, particularly with just a 2 yr. commitment, was a well-implemented Plan B. Now let’s hope that the young goaltenders all come back from their injuries and prove to be NHL-ready in two years.
Sorry Mr. Leonsis,
This is a HUGE mistake on the part of the Caps…I hope the youngsters are ready to play in less than a year..this is a waste of Cap Space..$4.5M for Theodore is just terrible.
I hope all the good feeling and excitement from last year is not wasted due to inept goaltending and a very poor decision from the GM..
Very bad day for Caps Fans
I am glad you feel good. Check around the NHL most think it was a mistake. I understand you couldn’t make Huet sign and he ended up signing a 4 yr deal for over 22 mil.
but I just don’t have faith in Theodore. He is to up and down. Seems to only play good in his contract yrs.
Most Caps fans are not very happy with this move.
Ted,
Great..so you practically shove Kolzig out of town to pick up Theodore? Again..not playing Kolzig during the cup run for a guy who struggled and is now no longer a part of the team shows how rent-a-player is not the answer…
Nice name to add to the roster. Any chance of getting the message boards fixed? They’ve been down the whole day.
I’m fine with Theodore, and believe that given the chance Johnson can shine as well. Most important to good goalkeeping is good D. No shots, no goals. Today’s news about Pothier’s recovery has me hoping McPhee gets another experienced blue liner.
Huet = French for Greedy Slimeball
I fail to see why people love Huet so much. He played 2 months of hockey with the games was good, then didn’t show up in the playoffs. He wants more money than he is worth and Theodore is comprable in every facet. Oh and he has won a playoff series, something Huet has not. You can gripe that Theodore is not consistant but niether was Heut, lets not forget he was benched for Carey Price….
You can listen to one person who speaks for most Caps fans, or you can listen to other people. I’ll only speak for myself.
I think that if the stories are accurate, and your side agreed to their offer, and then they chose to not take it, it’s your job to go and get the next best goalie with that money.
You guys did. Thanks.
Is Theodore the best goalie in the NHL? No. Did we have the best goalie? No. We didn’t. You just can’t make some people happy, even when circumstances are beyond your control. It’s a shame.
Theodore played very well in that last stretch of the season to lead and injured and aging Av’s team into the playoffs….People seem to forget Huet has been injured for parts of each of the past two seasons…good move Ted / George …people will be plesantly suprised…Huet and Khabibulin will be fighting for the starting job in Chicago…onward!
I guess all of the whiners who posted before me (bashing Theodore) would prefer Ray Emery or BJ starting in goal next season, because that is what would have happened had GMGM not made a move for Theodore. If that happened, you all would have been whining about how much of a travesty it was. Seriously people, sometimes you have to pick the best of the worst in a situation.
Don’t worry Ted, most of your fans aren’t idiots, really.
Ken… Nobody “shoved” Kolzig out of town. Excellent job by GMGM, getting a great goalie signed to a short contract. Huet for four years would have caused cap problems in a couple of seasons. Theodore is going to impress this season and next, then he will be gone right when one of the youngsters is ready to play.
… a bit much for Green, though. I hope he is working on his defense, he was a liability last year.
good work getting theodore signed when huet fled. dont let the door hit you in the a@@ on the way to chicago!
Does this mean the Verizon Center will rename French Fries to Freedom Fries?
Theodore/Huet, Huet/Theodore, so what either way it is goalie lite and the Caps proved they can play in front of whoever is in net. Great D even makes Marty B look good. I guess the signing of Olie to the Bolts as a backup shows just how badly the communication broke down last year between him and the team, ironic since you’ve made your mark as a great communicator.
Got to admit Ted you guys really knocked me on my keister on this! but the more I read about what really happened on Huet’s end the more I realize that George did the best he could for the team. Come on admit it though…it’s fun living Washington Capital Fans Mass Hysteria!!!
Ted,
I just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work. Despite some of the venom above, I think your management team (particularly GMGM) has earned a great deal of trust from the average fan. I appreciate your honesty and transparency, and I’ve never been more excited to be a Caps fan.
Cheers,
Kyle Dunn
Uh…I think Olie was shown the door for Huet, and Huet was smart to go for what he wanted. This situation was coming the moment Olie was benched, and GMGM should have seen it coming. Theodore is way too inconsistent for the money spent. Ted, I know you are trying to make the best of a bad situation, but your post was kinda lipstick on a pig…
well, we could always bring back that “steal of a deal” we got for Oates…yeah, you remember - Maxime Oulette??
Karma is a bitch eh Ted, and somewhere Olaf Kolzig is smiling.
Ooops…we needed him. Even if it meant a longer contract.
Good alternative. Not much difference between the two. Plus he’s a little younger, signs for less money and more important, if he’s terrible he only costs us 2 years on the length of the deal. If Huet was terrible we would’ve been stuck. Plus in a salary cap era, your not going to be able to retain everyone, and they still have a few guys to sign.
Once Huet passed on resigning with the Caps, what alternative was there? There was no better goalie on the market than Theodore. No one in hockey really disputes that. Is Theodore going to win the Vezina next year? No, but neither is Huet. Should the Caps have thrown more money and another year at Huet in order to get him? We’ll have to let hindsight be the judge on that one. BUT, my 2 cents: while he was good last year down the stretch, he wasn’t THAT great. Remember the playoffs. Plus, I trust George; he’s earned some faith and respect around here, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt on this one until proven wrong.
Yeah he “led” his team to the second round, then was pretty much the reason they were knocked out. When was the last time he won a single game in the second round? I know you and GMGM did your best, and let’s hope that we can at least strengthen out defense so we might still have a shot at the cup and at making DC remain a hockey town.
Ted,
I’m still in shock about losing Huet, but it does seem now that he didn’t want to be here.
After all his agent’s lip service, you guys made him the offer he was looking for and he still went elsewhere? Well, I guess he didn’t want to be here after all.
The fact that Theodore has won a playoff series is very encouraging.
Go Caps!
Let’s see here, Huet originally asks for 3 years, $15 mil and also hires a real estate agent to help him find a place to live in the DC area. 1 July roles around and the deal Huet asked the Caps for is still on the table and seems to be a sure lock, then for a little more money and one more year that he probably won’t even last to see, Huet opts to “test” the free agent waters when he knew all along that his plan was to leave DC even though he and his agent gave every impression to the DC area media that he wanted to stay, which in return was relayed to us Capitals fans and our hopes and dreams jumped through the roof…..and rightfully so.
Now we look at Theodore being signed and everyone jumps on the “bad deal” wagon because he’s inconsistent. Ok, let’s look at the 3 goalies in this situation:
1) Kolzig= 1 Vezina, 1 Cup appearance, 38 years old
2) Huet= 0 Vezina, 0 playoff series wins, 32 years old
3) Theodore= 1 Vezina, 1 Hart, some playoff series wins, 31 years old and best of all he signed a lower contract which is just enough time for him to fill in the goaltender gaps in DC until the young guns are ready to step in.
Anyway, in the past Theodore is use to playing on teams with old, veteran players. Now, he’s playing for a team full of young studs and the right amount of veterans to balance out the squad. I think Theodore is going to SHINE with the Caps. I think the enthusiasm and energy of the Capitals team is going to rub off on Theodore quickly which is going to turn his game around and put him on another level that no one has seen before.
I find it hard to consider what Huet’s agent (and Huet, by extension) did can be termed negotiating in good faith. Given the circumstances, Theodore was the only way to go. He has a rather uneven history, but he did rather well in the past season. I’m pleased he’s happy to be here, and there’s something to be said for having a change of scenery. He may be re-energized by having a fresh start here. I think the Caps will have good use for the ~ $1.2 million saved in the goalkeeper’s salary will be well spent on others who have an interest in playing here and making a contribution.
Thanks, Ted. I think most fans will eventually understand the business side of things and agree with the signing of Theodore. You and GMGM should be appluaded for taking the best approach to a successful future for the team. Keep up the good work!
I hope no one crucifies me but I think the Theodore signing was a better choice than Huet even if the Caps had gotten Huet at $5M/year for 3 or 4 years.
1) After next year (year 2 of the contract) Chris Clark needs to be signed.
2) After two years the next great big contract for the Caps is due: Nick Backtstrom. Conveniently (this is good planning) both Viktor Kozlov and Brian Pothier’s deal expire
3) After 3 years, Nylander and Poit’s contracts expire, Semin is due for another extension, and if Alzner pans out like he should, he’ll be due for an extension as well.
Chicago has tons of cap room to pay Huet more than what MARTIN BRODEUR is making. The Caps didn’t (and Huet, as great as he is, isn’t Martin Brodeur…)
Don’t listen to all these naysayers Ted my man, you guys made the right move. I would much rather have Green, Theodore and perhaps Fedorov for the money it may have taken to have Green and Huet.
Neither goalie has separated themselves from the other in their careers, both regular season and playoffs. GMGM was right, you got a goalie who is just as good for cheaper and for less time.
You couldn’t do any more for a guy (Huet) than agreeing to his demands and then he goes and changes them.
We will be fine with Jose!
I started the day thrilled to hear that Mike Green had signed, thereby avoiding any offer sheet drama. When I first heard about Theodore when I was at work, I was confused as it appeared that the Caps might reach an agreement with Huet. After I got home from work, I was able to listen to Mr. McPhee’s conference call and to read Tarik’s and Corey’s blogs. That’s when I realized what a good job by the Caps today. It appears that Huet did not want to sign here and the Caps got the best available starting goaltender. I heard Theodore’s interview on the NHL Network and he is happy to come here and said that the Caps are a good team. I was also happy to hear on McPhee’s conference call that the Caps are interested in resigning Feds.
I am disappointed that Huet didn’t sign with us - he had an amazing run at the end of the season and should have been rewarded…. Having said that, you can’t sign someone who does not want to be here… if you meet his demands and then he says he still wants to test the market… it’s clear he wants to be somewhere else.
I also remember when he was signed at the deadline; there was some question of whether his family wanted/like DC… I don’t know if that was just the rumor mill or actually the case. Maybe that went into the decision too.
So where are we now… we now have a younger goalie who was playing better at the end of the year (Theodore) than one who we had at trade deadline (Kolzig). Don’t get me wrong, I have been a huge Olie supporter but he lost a little bit the past year. We wish him the best as a backup in Tampa.
I’m so comfortable with GMGM in these situations. He did great work to get Cristobal, Sergei and Cooke at the deadline, then made a nice late flip to his backhand to get Jose signed after Huet wouldn’t agree to THE VERY TERMS HE PROPOSED.
Much as CH has a place in my heart for last year’s heroics to help get us into the playoffs, that decision of his to decline the TERMS HE PROPOSED tells me he wasn’t that motivated to be here. Listen to Ovie and Greener talking about how they want to be here, didn’t want to play games, and wanted to be LOYAL to the Caps. Those are our guys. That’s the kind of team spirit I love.
I hope Jose comes in well motivated and thrilled to be on a team that is going places. Huet made the money play, not the Cup play, and I’ll miss Olie, for sure. But Jose looks comparable to Huet by the numbers, but with a little more to prove to a young team that will contend and get at least to the second round if not the third round next season.
Can’t wait!
Huet was very good down the stretch but what concerned me was he was pushed around by Philly and couldn’t close out game 7 (even with tough breaks top goalies find a way). I still don’t know if he could take us to the next level. To commit longer then 3yrs would have been silly with the talent we need to sign down the road. Jose will be hungry to prove he is back on his game. Remain calm all is well.
I hope you intend to package Theodore along with some prospects or even a few draft picks in exchange for a decent goalie. You’ve said your goal is to win a cup, and Jose Theodore hasn’t been the go to guy for that for a long long time. He hasn’t won a single game in the second round of the playoffs in YEARS. Don’t get me wrong Huet was no god, but he’s better than theodore
It was a good move IMO. I read some of the boards and Huet’s wife didn’t like it here in DC. Whether or not that’s true I don’t know. At least the Caps had a plan B and acted on it.
Theodore’s younger by a couple years, there’s some extra $ to sign Fedorov and/or Matt Coooke. The Caps took care of Mike Green, which was HUGE!
I don’t know why Caps fans are whining about Huet leaving. We knew there was a possibility of that happening when the deal was done. Thanks Cristobal for the division title as he had a huge role in that. I wish him good luck.
I am happy with Plan B (Theodore for two year and wants to be a Cap). Plan A (Huet for four years) would have hurt the Caps down the road. Looking forward seeing Theodore and Johnny rocking the red in the net for the Caps this coming season.
well done Ted and George 2year deal is a good fit with the young goalie coming up. I’m in Montreal as you know and Theodore is back on track , he will be very good for the caps. can’t wait for the start of season. with all the interview he did in french in Montrealtoday about going for the caps he is very happy and amaze with the team so very good choice and god fit. see u Ted
Thag…well he sure didn’t get the respect he deserved from the Caps..he was a factor on the ice as well as in the community and was treated like Art Monk was when the Skins didn’t want him. Huet was a joke in the playoffs and yet a proven winner despite his age and not playing at the height of his career should have been given a shot in goal…
There were two (2) starting goalies available. Both have essentially the same stats. We now have a goalie at a reasonable price that will bridge the gap between now and our prospects readiness. This was a good move business-wise. This was a good hockey move.
We still need a stay-at-home D-man… I presume that Pothier will be on LTIR? Orpik would be a nice replacement.
Considering that GMGM did all that he could, and had to use Plan B with little warning, I would say he did just fine. Just for a second, assume that we never had Huet. But today we get Theodore. I think we would be smiling, not complaining.
I feel like Mike Green and Cristobal Huet were the priorities of this offseason. Signing Green before the offer sheets could pile up was a positive. Not being able to reach an an agreement with Huet is a negative. I don’t blame the Caps for this one bit, but circumstances have forced the Caps to relent a position of strength in order to preserve a viable position of productiveness. If the mandate of continuity is upheld for the other players on the roster, I think I’ll be able to overcome any disappointment I may feel today.
From a financial standpoint, I agree with this move. Remember everyone, Backstrom will be coming up for contract negotiations in a few years. We can’t have a goalies 5.7 million dollar contract hanging over our head. OV-Semin-Green all big money, and Backstrom will demand large bucks as well….there is only so much money in the well.
Now, why couldn’t management (Ted) get Olie to stay here for 1.5????
It’s Bondra all over again…use Olie for all you can, then throw him on the s-crap pile….and deny it was any of your fault when he won’t resign……….That’s the Ted way!
Great job by McPhee.
Huet and Theodore are roughly equivalent players, and Theodore has the better top-end and MUCH better playoff record. Once Huet wasn’t going to play ball it was critical that the Caps signed Theodore before Huet set a completely unreasonable price.
This is a professional business, fans, not an excercise in nostalgia. We have a good/better goalie for $1.1m less and a shorter contract. Now we can secure Feds or add a veteran blueliner (Orpik I hope).
The goalie stops pucks, and Theodore does it as well as anyone. Shore up the D and this is a team that can win in the playoffs.
Ignore the critics Ted, what do a bunch of Marylanders who’ve never paid their dues on ice know about hockey? Less than McPhee I’ll bet.
Are you kidding me??? We lose Huet? This cannot happen. Just an other frustrating move by the Caps! The bottom line………The Caps did not get the deal done!!
Hey Ted,
I want to say that you are the best owner I could imagine having. TOO Smart to save money the first few years and let our draft picks develop. GMGM was TOO Smart to pick up Huet for a faltering Kolzig to get our Superstar some playoff experience. This is the latest in some stellar moves by your administration. Some owners (*cough* Angelos) can’t let their people make the right moves. You did. Some owners would be like “we need Huet, he was part of the amazing turnaround.” We don’t need Huet. We needed a #1 goalie that fit our future plans and we have it. Anyone who doubts this move has NO business sense. Hockey is a business. Theodore will thrive in our locker room. The excitement and energy that Ovie and our youngsters bring will be more than enough to get Jose in top mental and physical condition.
Thanks Ted.
SIGN FEDOROV! =)
Huet and Jose were the 2 best UFA goaltenders this year. Nice work getting one of ‘em when the other decided to go elsewhere. -JW
Uncle Ted,
PLEASE do what it takes to put ORPIK in RED. PLEASE!!
Your grateful fan,
Andrew from Brookland
Ken;
So you would have put kolzig in net and not have made the playoffs. Kolzig was trash last year. Many experts believe he’s on a downward hill. Even his current coach melrose ripped him the whole year. Kolzig as we know now is a liar. He said he wanted the starters job and wouldn’t play if he were a backup(liar). He said he wanted to go to a contender(lie)tampa worse record in the league last year.
Not a good move. My concern is that Theodore has a history of character flaws that can undermine this team. It makes no sense: You lose Kolzig for Huet, and then lose Huet to get Theodore.
The Caps are a young team; and I hope that Theodore does not have a bad influence on this team (ie, Partying, drug use). The Caps had better make sure they have solid mature leaders in the locker room, or this team could be in trouble.
On paper, not a bad move. Hopefully, with the added seasoning, the defensemen will cut down on the number of shots allowed and the offense will continue to put up nice numbers to give Theodore a chance.