No Tag Day Needed For Niemi
Al Cimaglia | Aug 31, 2010 | Comments 36
In what has been a whacky NHL summer it appears the craziness hasn’t stopped.
It has been reported by Hockey Buzz that Antti Niemi is close to agreeing to terms with a new team. Unless something goes upside down the story appears accurate. More important, and somewhat of a surprise is that my whispers indicate Niemi won’t have to settle for a skimpy contract.
Hockey logic and a tight goal tender market originally led me to believe Niemi would be hard pressed to receive an offer in the vicinity of his arbitration award of $2.75 million. I now think Niemi will agree to a contract for close to his award amount and could be in line for a multi-year deal as well.
Where Niemi will end up is open for speculation.
My thinking hasn’t changed on the Carey Price situation. That doesn’t mean Niemi is about sign in Montreal but it wouldn’t shock me if Price wasn’t in a Habs uniform come opening night.
San Jose jumped to sign Antero Niitymaki on July 1. If they are currently interested in Niemi another trade would have to follow. From what I have heard in the past the Sharks are high on Thomas Greiss. Although all of that could be true, it is unwise to dismiss any possibilities at this point.
If Niemi is looking for the security of a multi-year deal maybe Edmonton or Long Island could become his new home.
If a Stanley Cup contender is coveting Niemi’s services there would likely have to be a trade made to create salary cap space. As in San Jose, Philadelphia would have to create some cap space and probably trade a goalie to accommodate Niemi.
The Capitals appeared to be happy with their goal tending situation but maybe because of Niemi’s availability they are reconsidering.
There’s no telling where Niemi will end up as there could be a team willing to make significant changes. But if whispers are correct he will receive a contract commensurate with winning a Stanley Cup.
blackhawkswin@comcast.net
Filed Under: Al Cimaglia • Chicago Blackhawks • Featured • Featured Rumors • NHL
Al, an intriguing situation to be sure.
Mike Boone from the Montreal Gazette’s “Habs Inside Out” shared this today:
“Price on strike?
posted by Mike Boone at 16h44 EST on Aug 31
So says Canoe.ca. The “story” is based on a Tweet by CBC-Montreal sports reporter Michel Godbout:
EXCLUSIVE: a very very reliable source close to Carey Price says the goalie wants 3 million per or he’s going on strike. Habs listening?
Hey, two “very”s to describe “reliable”. Gotta be true, right?”
http://www.habsinsideout.com/
—
If this information is correct, maybe Niemi to the Habs isn’t so far fetched after all.
Stan Fischler also reported in his NHL newsletter that Rick DiPietro’s health is still a question mark. That would make Niemi a logical candidate as insurance if RDP isn’t ready.
If I had to pick four teams those would be two of the four.
The Islanders would then have $8-$9MM tied up in goalies. Which is rough. Even for the Islander used to paying the price for Yashin.
Why not the Lightning? They have the space and two journeyman goal tenders.
Shruew> that’s exactly what I was just thinking.
$11Mil in cap space. Smith off the books next year, and not hard to demote him if Niemi is signed.
http://nhlnumbers.com/overview.php?team=TBL&season=1011
Niemi-Ellis could be a pretty solid tandem.
I too thought about the Lightning…
The point of the blog was not to spot light a destination….cuz I don’t have anything specific worthwhile to relay.
What I thought was important is that Niemi has solid offers.
My thinking was Niemi was in a tough spot…if my whispers are correct things don’t look too bad for him.
If and it is still an if….If Ricky D. can’t play he probably won’t be a cap hinderance….
I think the Isles are team that could look to lock a young guy up for 3-4 yrs…But TB could be in same situation.
I have heard a bunch of different teams…most would have to make a trade or salary dump.
Bottom line is it appears Niemi has some real choices….Which I find surprising in some ways.
I notice that in his recent radio interview Niemi didn’t deny receiving the 3 yr. $8M offer from the Hawks and also said how disappointed he was that he’s no longer in Chicago. It seems he never thought he wouldn’t be back. I know it’s old news but I still think Zito led him astray. I think if he had to do it over he’d take that 3 yr. offer. Oh well – I hope he gets something close to that on a 1 yr and maybe he’ll be back.
LVC,
He didn’t deny ..he actually didn’t comment at all.
Someday more will come out…and there is a lot more to the story.
I will bet u $1 to a donut there wasn’t a three year $8 mill offer on the table the week of arbitration.
Don’t look now but it appears that San Jose is Niemi’s new home for the next year. 2 million.
A little lower on the salary than I thought…but he still got his $2 mill…and with a contender!
Only 1 year too. So much for those 3 or 4 year deals at $4MM.
From Craig Custance/Sporting News:
“3:52pm ET, via Craig Custance tweet,
Got confirmation from a league source that Antti Niemi is headed to San Jose. Will accept 1-year, $2 million offer.”
I just looked at the Sharks’ roster and salary chart…
SJS would be now carrying 3 goalies…Greiss (who they were supposedly very strong on for only 500K, but who is an RFA next year), Niittymaki (for two years at $2mil each) and Niemi.
They would have about $1mil and change left after signing Niemi.
They haven’t replaced Rob Blake or Manny Malhotra.
Hard to figure this one, unless it’s just Doug Wilson trying to put the screws to the Hawks…which makes very little hockey sense.
The Sharks still haven’t replaced Foote.
And they can’t replace him a $1 million dollar player.
Not surprised it’s a one-year deal and not surprised it’s less than what the arbitrator awarded.
That’s not a guy I want representing me… Zito.
Of course, if he could get ME $2 mil…
At this point getting Niemi $2 mill with a contender was big accomplishment.
Agreed! If (and we all know it’s a majorly big “IF”) Antii was offered $8 mil for 3 years (and no, it wasn’t the week of arbitration… probably was withdrawn as soon as they matched San Jose’s offer sheet for Hammer)… that’s more than one year at $2 mil per with a pretty darn good contender.
Yep it would be …I will have more to say in a blog soon….
But you can imagine what another $1.4 or so(difference between Turco and Niemi) would have done to their cap situation.
Oh, I can totally imagine… it would be devastating. Well, maybe a little too strong, but Stan would have been hamstrung.
If they had signed Antii to 3 years, $8 million before the offer sheet, would they have matched Hammer’s contract? In retrospect, they could have had both of them and still signed Pisani and Hendry, but they’d be right up against the cap with a 21-man roster. And NO flexibility for the rest of the year.
If they had the opportunity to sign Antii for $2 million, they’d only have $800,000 left with the current roster configuration (swapping Niemi for Turco).
Would a guy like Brouwer have been vulnerable? Could they afford to give him up, too? I personally think he’s much more valuable, especially with his contract, than Buffy or Versteeg.
I shudder when pondering the many possibilities.
With the changes that had to be made, I am satisfied with the current roster and the little bit of flexibility the team has going forward. Yeah, an injury-filled season would be a problem, but isn’t that true of any other club, if they lost a star player or two?
Agreed Al – probably not a 3 yr $8M in the last week but I believe there was a some point and I also believe if the Hawks could have had Niemi at $2M for 1yr early on they would have taken that.
I wonder what you know that we don’t because you don’t seem to agree with the latter.
BTW Scotty Wazz has an interesting piece on his goalie blog, “The Strangest One of All” about Antti’s signing in SJ.
http://scottywazz.blogspot.com/2010/09/sharks-are-pro-antii-niemi-or-faith-no.html
There is another shoe to drop in SJ…they still need a point man for the pp.
I will write something soon…
But the bottom line is the Hawks had a choice and they didn’t choose Niemi….even if Niemi would have signed before arbitartion for $2 mill it’s still $700,000 more than Turco…normally that would be a no brainer u sign the guy u had but not in this case.
Al, I agree with you there seems to have been another factor in not signing Niemi.
The impression I have is that the Hawks talked to Turco as soon as he was a free agent and lined up a deal.
In his interview given to a Finnish media outlet, Niemi appeared to suggest the same.
…so it would seem this was all along Bowman’s plan, in order to shave $ off his cap where no one expected? at least if the combined cost of Hammer/Niemi got too high
what if (as Al would say) Hammer didn’t get a offer sheet? how much different would the situation be? maybe Niemi’s still here.
I’ll be very interested in your blog on this Al.
Al, any chance Bowman matches the contract (his right if it’s less than 80% of the arb award $2.75M) then trades Niemi in a previously arranged deal to the East, picking up a serviceable player or prospect in return? Maybe another team, a non-contender who liked Niemi but couldn’t get him b/c SJ is a contender.
Wouldn’t that be sweet?!
I don’t believe there is no 80% match award. The Hawks walked away from player selected arbitration – they have no rights to him.
I am not positive but I do believe they can match an accepted offer for less than 80% of original arb. award amount…But I don’t have the CBA in front of me.
I believe it when you’ve show it to me :) I’ve been looking for it since this was first brought it.
It was in the *previous* CBA though.
no
Chris Kuc is reporting Niemi/Zito say they had 4-5 offers and narrowed their choice down to the Sharks. Interesting.
So maybe Antti didn’t want to stay in CHI after all? Maybe Zito asked for the max because he knew Hawks wouldn’t pay the $2.75? The mind boggles.
There is no way the Hawks will match so I won’t waste anymore keystrokes on this one.
Maybe this not from the current CBA???
But if so….
(c) If a Club exercises its walk-away right, the following
applies:
(i) If the player accepts an offer from a
New Club in respect of that year of the contract which the Prior
Club has walked-away from that is less than 80% of the award for
such year, the Prior Club may, within seven (7) days after the
date it receives the applicable Offer Sheet, elect to match the
offer of the New Club and the Player and the Prior Club shall
enter into a Player Contract on those terms and conditions; or
I wonder what Doug Wilson would say…
Niemi today (per TSN) re signing w/SJS: “I thought for me it would be really important to go to a really good team and also a really good organization. They really wanted me there too. It wasn’t too hard a decision after all.”
I hear he had offers for more than $2 mill but they weren’t from a contender.
Wow,
So now they care less about money than the quality of the team. Why go to arb in the first place then.
This is a cluster #$%^ from jump.
Come on. Goalies are being told to jump out of windows by GM’s all over the league and Zito takes this kid to arb for the exercise and then all he can get is 2m for 1yr.
You can’t tell me that some offer the Hawks made early on doesn’t beat the snot out 2m for 1 or at least was close.
Let’s say the offer was 2 years at 1.7; if being on a contender is so important just sign the contract.
Massive, Massive ineptitude and foresight.
This didn’t have to happen. There were several exits to get off this road.