San Jose Sharks Signing: Is Niemi the Antti-Dote for the Sharks?

The San Jose Sharks made a curious move on Wednesday, as multiple sources confirm that the Sharks are close to signing former Chicago Blackhawk goaltender and Stanley Cup Champion Antti Niemi to a one-year, $2 million contract.

After Niemi was awarded $2.75 million in arbitration, the Blackhawks released him and signed former Dallas Star Marty Turco for $1.3 million. It's interesting that San Jose showed interest in signing Niemi because they had already committed $2 million dollars  to Antero Niittymaki on the first day of free agency.

There are many misperceptions about Niemi, with the biggest being that he is a “proven” winner. He may have a ring on his finger, but he is still far from proven. He started last year as a clear back-up (and a rookie at that) to Cristobal Huet, a multi-million dollar starter who was thought to be THE guy in goal in Chicago. Huet’s continued struggles were the only reason Niemi saw significant playing time as the season progressed.

He may have played admirably in the playoffs and helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup, but he was not a Vezina, Conn Smythe, or even Calder Trophy winner. He played in only 61 games combined between the regular season and playoffs, and while he was solid in save percentage and goals against, both categories were similar to the numbers posted by Evgeni Nabokov.

Furthermore, Niemi had better defensive support. Brian Campbell, Duncan Keith, Brent Sopel, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and company are a much stronger group from top to bottom than the pairings the Sharks were able to field, even before they lost Rob Blake. Niemi has shown nothing to prove he can repeat his 2010 magic, especially if he has to play behind a depleted-by-comparison defense.

The signing also potentially creates a major financial obligation in net, negating the benefit of allowing Nabokov and his $6 million-plus contract to walk, and limiting the Sharks’ options for bolstering the previously-mentioned defensive unit.

Unless Sharks general manager Doug Wilson knows something few others do, and Niittymaki has some trade value carrying a $4 million contract, this signing could put the Sharks in a major bind. The urgency with which Wilson pursued Niittymaki could suggest there was other interest, but the consensus overage in salary for the to-date mediocre NHL goaltender would feasibly drastically limit his trade value.

Trading or releasing Thomas Griess would do nothing to alleviate the salary cap hit, so the only other scenario that could make sense would be a sign-and-trade.

Could Doug Wilson have inside information that another team is willing to deal a top-flight defenseman for Niemi in the $2 million range? It is a possibility that such a team might not pursue Niemi directly due to the lack of cap room, but could be amenable to acquiring him through a sign-and-trade.

How large a possibility is anyone’s guess.

If these rumors prove to be true and the Sharks retain Niittymaki and Niemi, they could find themselves in hot water. Time will tell how this plays out.

Keep the Faith!