The Washington Capitals have signed a starting goaltender but it’s not Cristobal Huet.

In a move that obviously means Huet’s short tenure with the Capitals is over, the club has signed former Colorado Avalanche netminder Jose Theodore to a two-year contract  worth $9 million, which breaks down to $4.5 million per season.

The Caps had been negotiating with Huet right up to the last minute in hopes of re-signing the French netminder, whom they acquired at the trade deadline from the Montreal Canadiens for the bargain price of a second round pick.

But given the lack of quality depth in starting goalies in this year’s market the Huet camp appears to have decided to test their value on the open market. It was rumored they were seeking a three-year contract at over $5 million per season.

The Capitals might have been unwilling to pay it but another team seeking goalie depth probably will.

As for Theodore, this past season was a return almost to the form that won him the Vezina and Hart trophies in 2002, and was arguably the main reason the Avs made the playoffs after suffering a rash of serious injuries to their roster.

His post-season record remains erratic, as he followed up a strong performance in the opening round of the 2008 playoffs against the Minnesota Wild with a poor one in the Avs second round humiliation by the Detroit Red Wings.