Expected to remain quiet at the NHL trade deadline, the Capitals instead initiated a roster shake up Tuesday, trading for three veterans, including Montreal Canadiens goaltender Cristobal Huet.
Huet, 32, arrives in D.C. along with Columbus forward Sergei Fedorov, 38, and Vancouver forward Matt Cooke, 29, as general manager George McPhee bolstered his club for the season’s final 18 games.
“You just never know going into the deadline what’s going to transpire,” said McPhee, who insisted Huet’s acquisition didn’t necessarily mean the end for longtime Washington netminder Olie Kolzig, an unrestricted free agent. “We didn’t anticipate a lot happening. But when the Huet deal came along that one was hard to lay off of.”
Huet (21-12-6) was an All-Star in 2007 and ranks 11th in save percentage (.917), but was deemed expendable with 20-year-old goalie phenom Carey Price waiting in the wings.
“I’m excited that Washington wanted me and that they think I can help them make a push for the playoffs” said Huet, who is also an unrestricted free agent.
Huet played under Caps coach Bruce Boudreau at AHL Manchester in 2002-03. The Caps now have a logjam at goalie with both Kolzig, 37, and Brent Johnson, 30, still on the roster. That delicate issue falls to Boudreau, who said communication with his three goalies will be critical and admitted keeping everyone happy won’t be easy.
Fedorov, a six-time All-Star, is a veteran presence at center the Caps have needed since Michael Nylander (shoulder) was lost for the year. Fedorov no longer resembles the 100-point-per-year, Hart Trophy winner of the mid-90s. But he won three Stanley Cups with Detroit and played for Russia in two Olympics.
Cooke, a gritty left wing who has struggled this year with Vancouver (seven goals, nine assists), is a strong forechecker and could fit nicely in Boudreau’s aggressive system.
“Because of my [$1.5 million] contract I kind of expected a move,” said Cooke, an unrestricted free agent who admitted clashing with second-year Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault. “It’s nice to go to a place where you feel wanted.”
