Random Goalie Thoughts: NYI & Chicago

[Jason_Banks]

Why don't the New York Islanders send Rick DiPietro to Europe?

Stay with me here, its rather simple:

No matter what Garth Snow and Charles Wang need to pay 4.5 mill to Rick, doesn't mean it has to be a cap hit. You dont even need to place him on waivers. Do what Chicago did with Christobal Huet and find a Team in the SEL, German Elite lg, Finnish Elite or KHL that is willing to play him for the season, and assign him for the season.

Tell Rick, Well we have made a tough choice, but we would like to get you away from North America for the season, get you to play in a high end league in Europe and see if we can get you back healthy and in form for future seasons. Currently we have Montoya and Nabokov on NHL contracts and Kev Poulin, Mikko Koskinen and Anders Nilssom need Development time in the Minors, and we would like to get you on track. This season is going to be anouther tough growth season for the team and you dont need to be here for it. After this season Nabokov will be gone, the team will be in a stronger developed position and we can bring you back in to be a contender. We just need stability within the organization and need to get away from the distractions your health brings at the current moment. It will also relese the pressure on you to be strong and preform.

What do you guys think on this?

Also Chicago opposite direction, why not bring back Huet?

So Crawford is undisputed Starter, but bring Huet back to North America, for a training camp battle with Alexander Salak. I like Salak and believe he is NHL ready, but Chicago has no other backup plan. Huet can be that.

Chicago has 5.1 mill to spend right now, but with the cap expanding to 62-63 million they would have 7-8 million to spend they need to sign/callup 4-5 bottom end forwards and 1 D man (Frolik, Brower, Morin, Connelly and 2 cheap UFAs thats gonna be like a 5 million cost. with a few tweeks with Leddy, Kruger and Smith and using Daily call ups you can save yourself 1 mill give or take. And Salak in the AHL almost covers the cost of Huet's Cap Hit.

If Huet win the spot in camp, Crawford/Huet is an solid NHL tandem, not great but ok. Huet's costs can be sucked up as mentioned before and Chicago goes into 12/13 with Crawford/Salak home free.

If Huet loses in camp. You place him on Waivers simple enough, If a team claims him your home free (very unlikely). So he passes Waivers, now you have him and Alec Richards in Rockford, Alec is developing along side a proven vet who is also a good teamate. If there is an injury, you either call up Huet under Emergancy Conditions (no cap hit or waivers), or Re-Entry Waiver Huet. If he Passes you pay his contract at the costs left or reduced rate, if claimed you pay half the costs remaining on the contract 2.8 Max. Or My favorite situation, Huet retires (from the NHL) or refuses Rockford Assignment due to not wanting to play in the AHL. Chicago can then terminate the contract with no penalty as Huet was under 35 years old when signing the contract.

To me this make alot more sence than just buying him out and taking a 1.875 hit over the next 2 seasons and getting nothing out of him. It also is a concrete loss that Chicago has no play with, atleasy by activating him in some capasity he becomes useful and the Cap can be played with.

Anyway, just some things that came to me while putting around the house....

[Carcillo]

Chicago ain't bringing back Huet. He will play next year in Europe or somewhere far away from Chicago. They won't be spending $5.625 million in cap space for backup goaltender next year. They could hardly afford to ice 23 man roster if they had Huet as their backup goalie. It's just not going happen. No way. Huet won't get any chance at winning over the backup goalie spot in Chicago for next year.

This will also be Huet's last big pay check. He's not stupid enough to retire or not to report to AHL. No one in their right mind will blow $5.625 million in air.

Chicago won't be buying him out either. They can't afford to take the extra cap hit but their owner can afford to pay him his salary while he plays in Europe.

Out of sight, out of mind, is Chicago's strategy with Huet.

[Chico Resch]

Great idea, but Wang and Snow dont have that much sense.

[Atomic Wedgy]

Yeah, Huet's salary is too large for them to bring him back. $5.6m for a backup? No friggin way. He's already off the books and in their mind... already off the team.

It makes way more sense to have Salak be the backup.

[Atomic Wedgy]

I think the DiP idea has merit, but Rick ain't gonna just decide to move his family to Europe for a year (or leave them behind). Nor will he swallow his pride and play in a lesser league than the NHL.

[butch]

islander fans pushed Wang into buying out Yashin and the same may eventually happen to Dipietro .

I think the arena situation needs to play itself out before Wang commits to buying him out .

if the arena deal gets squashed Wang might sell the team and let the new owners deal with Dipietro on their own dime.

theres also a chance the next CBA allows for ''one time'' owner friendly buy outs of long term contracts.

like I've been saying in most of the dipietro threads , the situation simply needs to play itself out.

[Atomic Wedgy]

The NHLPA will fight pretty hard against a "one time" owner friendly buy out. Its a free market. I think if they make a dumb deal, they should honour it.

[butch]

The NHLPA will fight pretty hard against a "one time" owner friendly buy out. Its a free market. I think if they make a dumb deal, they should honour it.

I'm thinking more along the lines of the player still gets his buyout $$ but the team is relieved of the cap hit

I'm sure donald fehr and bryan mccabe would approve.

[golfguy1672]

I'm thinking more along the lines of the player still gets his buyout $$ but the team is relieved of the cap hit

I'm sure donald fehr and bryan mccabe would approve.

didnt this happen at the last lockout? where teams were allowed to end contracts but not have to suffer cap hits? I swear that happened with Bobby Holik for sure.. but I could be wrong

[butch]

didnt this happen at the last lockout? where teams were allowed to end contracts but not have to suffer cap hits? I swear that happened with Bobby Holik for sure.. but I could be wrong

dont know the exact details but there was definately some relief offered .

[Atomic Wedgy]

dont know the exact details but there was definately some relief offered .

That's what she said...

[mister_mcgoo]

hmmm, dont agree with the Huet speculation but the Dipietro idea is a good one that would actually make TOO much sense for the Isles to ever pull off. The team has some promise and is building something that can compete a few years down the road and Dipietro is at best a distraction

[doulos]

In all of this I really just feel horrible for Dipietro. A talented goaltender who has had ZERO luck with injuries and an entire career destroyed because of it.

But at least he still gets paid.

[Fast Tony DeNiro]

In all of this I really just feel horrible for Dipietro. A talented goaltender who has had ZERO luck with injuries and an entire career destroyed because of it.

But at least he still gets paid.

I agree with this completely. It's too bad because without the injuries it's my opinion that DiPi would be one of the best goalies in the NHL, he is just incredibly talented in every facet of the game.

That being said, the injuries can't be dismissed and the KHL (or whatever) idea has merit. It won't happen though, there's no way the Isles ask their "franchise" player to go to Europe, and there' no way DiPi agrees to it anyways.

[butch]

In all of this I really just feel horrible for Dipietro. A talented goaltender who has had ZERO luck with injuries and an entire career destroyed because of it.

But at least he still gets paid.

something always seemed fishy to me about Rick .
one year , he came into training camp putting on at least 20 pounds of upper body muscle.

Milbury even stated in an interview at islanderspointblank.com that Rick's upper body didnt match up with his lower body and he had wished he was handled better with regards to his off-season and in-season training programs / nutrition.

I'm not sure if that interview is archived or not at the site I posted.