Chicago Blackhawks let Antti Niemi Walk
The Chicago Blackhawks have parted ways with Stanley Cup winning goaltender Antti Niemi. Niemi was awarded a $2.75 million contract by an arbitrator, a price that the Blackhawks could not afford, and the team was forced to let him walk away. The Hawks not signing the goaltender now makes him a free agent.
Antti Niemi
Niemi began his professional career with the Lahti Pelicans of the Finnish Elite League. He spent three years with the Pelicans, posting average numbers. His best year came in his final season with the club in which he recorded 26 wins, a save percentage (SV%) of .969 and a goals-against-average (GAA) of 2.35.
That offseason, Niemi was signed by the Blackhawks as an undrafted free agent. He played three games with the Hawks before being sent down to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate the Rockford Ice Hogs.
Niemi put up respectable numbers during his season with the Ice Hogs, posting a SV% of .910 and a GAA of 2.43. The following season, Niemi made Chicago out of camp, beating out former starting goalie Cristobal Huet.
Last season with the Blackhawks, Niemi managed 26 wins in 39 starts, posting a .912 SV% and a 2.25 GAA.
Why the Blackhawks let him go
The Blackhawks are a team managed by the cap. They have very little room with which to work and they still have a number of signings to complete. They were forced to walk away from Niemi because of the arbitrators ruling.
This is the first time a Stanley Cup goaltender has been let go from his team the year after they won the Cup. However, this was not something that hockey fans were not expecting. General Manager Stan Bowman knew there was a very good chance that Niemi would be awarded over $2.5 million and they would not be able to keep him.
For Chicago, it is not a total loss, as they have already announced that they have signed former Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco. Turco, if nothing else, looks to be on par with Niemi skill-wise. Even still, Turco’s career has been much longer and much more successful than that of Niemi’s. Although he has not won a Stanley Cup, Turco has posted incredible numbers throughout his career, and has been one of the most consistent goaltenders over the last five years.
In addition, one could argue that the Blackhawks Stanley Cup was not won because of goaltending, but rather team skill. Niemi’s numbers in the post-season were nothing to be impressed by, actually finishing 5th and 6th in save percentage and goals-against-average respectively, among all playoff net-minders.
What is next for Niemi?
Niemi is going to enter the free agent market for the second time in his career, however, this will be the first time his name carries any weight.
The likelihood is that Niemi will be looking for a multi-year deal. He is a 26-year-old that has only played one season in the NHL, and luckily for him it was a very successful one.
Niemi should get a multi-year deal from someone, but it will not be high paying as he still carries great risk having just come off his rookie season.
One team looking hard at Niemi could be the San Jose Sharks. Although they have Antero Niittymaki, Niemi might act as a type of buffer just in case Niittymaki’s play begins to deteriorate.
Also, look for the Florida Panthers to have a say in the young Fins career. With Tomas Vokoun’s contract coming up at the end of the season they will need to find a replacement, and it certainly will not be back up goaltender Scott Clemmensen.
Finally, the Washington Capitals could be looking for Niemi’s services. The team say that they are going with Semyon Varlamov, but with $5 million left in cap space it might be nice to sign a goaltender with a slightly more proven track record.
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