General Manager Dale Tallon took a risk on July 1st, outbidding other teams for the services of Cristobal Huet.

It sent shockwaves across the hockey world.  Why was Chicago even scanning the market for a goaltender with proven starter Nikolai Khabibulin on its roster?

It wasn't just the move that was surprising - it was the $5.6 million price tag (per year).  That's an awful lot of money for a relatively unproven goalie, who's played on three teams in five years and has yet to really find the right fit.

Let's dissect this further.  The Hawks are nine games into the season now.  They're 3-3-3, on the outside of the playoff picture (yes, it's early, but still), and gearing up for a Friday night match-up with the Stars.

The Frenchman, Huet, is 1-2-1.  The Russian, Khabibulin, is 2-1-2.  For those keeping score at home, that's 3 points for Cris and 6 for Nik.

Khabibulin has the superior save percentage (.919 to .894), lower goals against average (2.53 to 2.72), and the coaching staff has had enough confidence to give him more ice time so far (308 minutes to 243).

Khabibulin's making $6.75 million.  Huet's making $5.6, mentioned earlier - that's starting goaltender money, by the way (a good backup can be had for $1-2 million).  Are the Hawks really going to spend $12 million+ on their goalies?  Is this some kind of a cruel joke?

OK, am I the only one seeing this?  Nikolai, the four-time NHL all-star, two-time Olympic medalist, and the first Russian goalie to win the Stanley Cup...is competing with a 33-year-old struggling to find the right fit in this league, who has never played more than 52 games in an NHL season, who's playoff experience amounts to two series losses?  It doesn't add up.  (Khaby is 29-20 all-time in the playoffs, by the way, with an impressive 2.27 GAA and .922 save percentage.)

There's a lot of talk that Khabibulin will be moved to free up some salary space to allow the Hawks to make a trade or two to give the team a boost in their playoff push.  Maybe Huet should be the one moved.  Maybe he shouldn't have been signed in the first place.  It's a real head-scratcher, and it's obvious his performance with the Hawks so far has not been up to par.

This is a good team.  It doesn't need a goalie controversy looming over its heads.  The best teams in the NHL have a solid starting goalie they can rely on, one starting goalie - not this goaltender caroussel business - think about the teams that have won the Cup the last, oh I don't know, decade or so.

This situation needs to be resolved, and it needs to be resolved quick.  It's just a distraction, and it doesn't need to be.  The players shouldn't have to be looking over their shoulders wondering who's in net one night to the next.  Especially when one goalie is clearly struggling compared to the other.

My recommendation is to unload Huet real cheap - he should have never been here to begin with.  Ottawa needs a goalie.  Give him to them for a draft pick.  Hopefully this mess is resolved sooner rather than later.

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Craig Kanalley
Craig is a native of Buffalo, N.Y., home of the chicken wing, frigid winters, the Sabres and the Bills. He is a major league sports fan and most closely follows hockey. More