Just over one week has passed since the somewhat surprising news broke that the San Jose Sharks had signed former Chicago Blackhawk goaltender Antti Niemi to a one-year, $2 million deal.
Coupled with the signing of Antero Niittymaki in the early hours of free agency this July, that deal replaced the $6 million paid to Evgeni Nabokov in 2009-2010 with $4 million in committed money in net for 2010-2011. It also calls into question the future of German prospect Thomas Griess, who served the team as designated No. 2 last season, but was expected to play a larger role this season.
At the time of the signing, goaltending was not the top concern on a team that, barring the loss of Evgeni Nabokov and veteran defenseman Rob Blake, had remained largely unchanged since falling to the Blackhawks in four straight games in June's Western Conference Finals.
That series exposed the vulnerabilities of the Sharks' blue line, a unit that has only regressed with Rob Blake's retirement.
Many expected a high-profile trade to materialize before the start of the season to bring in a top-caliber defenseman. This fueled speculation that Niemi could be part of a sign-an ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Patrick Goulding II
Gaudy in Goal: What If the San Jose Sharks Keep Both Niemi and Niittymaki?
September 9th, 2010 by Patrick Goulding II Leave a reply »
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