Toronto-The next few months will likely be Cristobal Huet’s last with the Chicago Blackhawks.

The most overpaid goaltender in the National Hockey League has underachieved since signing a four-year, $22.4 million pact with the Hawks in the summer of 2008. This season, the thirty-four year old has posted a poor .899 save percentage, which is ten points lower than the mediocre .909 clip he recorded last year.

Chicago has only 14 players under contract next season for a combined salary cap hit of $57.5 million. Put simply, the club is over the cap and will have to delete expensive players from the roster. As such, Huet’s looming removal is glaring. Antti Niemi’s coup has made the decision even more obvious. (That said, the Finnish netminder is set to become a restricted free agent and will certainly improve on his $826 875 salary.)

There is only one question that remains. How will general manager Stan Bowman go about moving the Huet’s $5.625 million cap figure?

Dealing the goalie would be counterproductive. There is almost no chance of another NHL team trading for Huet unless Chicago takes back another dreadful contract or includes draft choices and/or prospects.

Buying out Huet is a flawed proposal. If the Blackhawks took this route, he would be on the books for four years, with a $1.875 annual cap hit.

The only sound strategies involve completely eliminating Huet’s cap hit, a feat that could be accomplished via two avenues.

Bowman could bury the goalie in the minors. While the Hawks would have to pay the 214^th pick the 2001 Entry Draft his full salary, the dollars would not count against the cap.

The other option is to lend Huet to a franchise in the Kontinental Hockey League. The financial terms between the two organizations would have to be negotiated. (The KHL team would probably pick up the majority of the France native’s tab.) But, this arrangement would completely eliminate the $5.625 million cap albatross. This alternative would only be feasible if the player consented. However, the Hawks could threaten to limit the goalie’s playing time in the American Hockey League, potentially making the KHL more attractive to Huet than two years with the Rockford IceHogs (no, that is not a spelling error). 

Moving one awful contract will not be a financial panacea. But, it must be done.

Boca Raton-Ladies and gentlemen, this is hot off the press. This news is so fresh that the paper it is inscribed on will set your hands ablaze. Brace yourselves. Breath in, find a place to sit, and drop all heavy machinery. Prepare to have your minds blown.

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