Antti Niemi's Contract Extension and the Future of San Jose Sharks Goaltending

Antti Niemi signed a four-year extension that will keep him in teal through the 2014-15 season.

At $3.8 million per year, a salary-cap friendly price for a Stanley Cup winning and underrated net-minder, Niemi is currently the longest contracted Shark—and the only player under contract for the 2014-2015 season.

Expect to see Antero Niittymaki traded in the offseason and don't expect a lot in return. His $2M salary next year needs to be dumped in order to make room for Antti Niemi's salary under the cap. 

As well as that, expect to see either Alex Stalock or Thomas Greiss as the full-time backup goalie next year, while Tyson Sexsmith sees some time in Worcester of the AHL after spending time in Stockton of the ECHL this year.

Stalock has a salary of $850,000 when he plays in the NHL, which may prohibit him from being called up since the Sharks are generally up against the cap.

Thomas Greiss makes $300,000 less at $550,000, but his contract is up and he's a Restricted Free Agent after this year. If he wants the backup role in the NHL next year, he can re-sign for a similar amount and force the team's hand into choosing him over Stalock for salary cap reasons.

As the future of the goaltending position takes shape for the Sharks, the key piece is Antti Niemi.

On a team known for being loyal to its goaltenders from Arturs Irbe to Evgeni Nabokov, the Sharks entered the 2010-11 season with questions for the first time in a decade.

The loss of Evgeni Nabokov forced the Sharks to sign Antero Niittymaki early in the free agency period, only to jump on fellow starting goaltender Antti Niemi when Chicago, who obviously didn't give enough credit to the rookie's contribution in their Stanley Cup win last year, let Niemi walk after arbitration.

With two starting goalies on the roster coming into the season, the Sharks lacked the goaltending consistency they were used to, which had in the past transformed them into one of the powerhouses in the NHL.

However, the fact that the picture cleared itself up within the first six months of play is a testament to what Antti Niemi has shown the Sharks staff both on and off the ice.

There have been dozens of articles on the sophomore sensation's on-ice play of late, as he's established himself as the most dominant player in the NHL over the past month.

In addition to that, Niemi is a welcomed locker room presence and leader, a la Patrick Roy, and has a work ethic that is paralleled only by the top athletes in any sport or endeavor.

One can look in his eyes and see the inward focus of an athlete at his own fierce center of concentration in the moment at hand. 

It's this intangible focus that is setting him apart from other goaltenders—a focus that made Antti Niemi a Stanley Cup-winning goaltender in his rookie season.

His competitive focus is again reminiscent of the great Patrick Roy, and while there will never be another Roy, Antti Niemi brings the winning attitude and pressure-tested performance that can lead the San Jose Sharks to their first Stanley Cup victory.