Chicago Blackhawks trying to deal G Huet, save $5.6M after brutal year dealing with cap

Blackhawks trying to deal G Huet

CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks are close to finding a place for goaltender Cristobal Huet to play this season and eliminating his $5.625 million annual salary cap hit.

General manager Stan Bowman said Friday he hopes to assign Huet to a team in Europe within the next few weeks. Huet won’t be in training camp and may be claimed off waivers from the Stanley Cup champions.

The 35-year-old Huet is entering the third year of a $22.5 million, four-year contract he signed in July 2008.

Huet saw limited duty in the second half of the 2009-10 season after Antti Niemi emerged as Chicago’s No. 1 goalie. Niemi is gone, but veteran Marty Turco signed a one-year, $1.3 million free agent deal with Chicago in August and Corey Crawford is expected to back him up.