7/1, 3:06 PM - Capitals sign Jose Theodore
Per TSN:
The Washington Capitals have signed goaltender Jose Theodore to a two-year contract.
Theodore, 31, became an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after playing out a three-year, $16 million contract. The former Montreal Canadien came off a solid 2007-08 campaign, posting a 28-21-3 record and a 2.44 goals against average.
This probably means the Caps weren’t as close to terms with Cristobal Huet as it seemed. As for the on-the-ice product, Theodore is a gamble and has been nothing if not inconsistent. If playing with a young, talented team revitalizes him, this could be a good signing for the Capitals. If Theodore reverts to his 2005 or 2006 form (in which he had a save percentage well below .900) his contract becomes dead cap space.
The important thing for Capitals fans will be to reserve judgment until the terms of whatever contract Huet signs are announced. If it turns out that someone is offering Huet seven million dollars a year and that for the Capitals to match it would have meant they had to sacrifice in other areas, they will have made the right decision. However, if Huet signs a three-year, $15 million contract elsewhere, Washington hockey fans will be left scratching their heads.
In the end, the Capitals basically became the victims of a weak goaltending free agent market. Of course things could be worse: less than 15 minutes after the announcement that Theodore had signed with the Capitas, his former employer (Colorado) announced they had signed Andrew Raycroft.
I would rather have Thoedore than Raycroft. Do you think they’re better off with Theo instead of trading for Manny Legace or David Abischer?
I’d rather go into the season with Theodore than Legace or Aebischer, because those guys are both pretty decent goaltenders without a lot of upside so, to me, they’re somewhat analogous to Brent Johnson and not a lot better than Theodore would be even if he flopped.
DMG: To my mind it’s probable that Huet will get more but comparing the offers is not fair since Huet is probably the last guy standing you want - he and his agent are gambling but it will pay off - I think. That said, Theodore is a former Vezina winner, proven himself in playoffs, 31 year old and 900K cheaper than Olie was. So worst case Caps are in same shape they were at the start of last season paying 900K less with as much or more upside. Also the UFA Goalie situation looks to be much better in two years, if none of the 3 prospects aren’t looking good.
I agree with you, Mark. The main thing that some Capitals fans who have been on the internet today are forgetting is that the Capitals made the best of this situation: they gave Huet the contract he wanted and he walked anyways, so they acquired the second-best goalie available. There’s nothing McPhee could do about the fact that the available netminder crop was subpar.
I’m more comfortable with Thedore at 4.5 mil for 2 years than Huet at 5.6 for 4 (especially if it lets the team sign Fedorov).
Indeed, $5.6 per year for 4 years is an enormous gamble so, great that Chicago is taking that gamble and not the Caps.
I think JT will do just fine. We might just get the pre-lockout Jose.
And yeah, the rest of that netminder crop, all those journeyman goalies - Raycroft, Lalime, Auld. (I wonder what Avs fans are saying, trading Theodore for Raycroft!)
Theodore is just as good as Huet, more tenured in the post-season, and cheaper.
I’d take this deal 10/10 times anyday.
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