A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
The Blachawks signing Marty Turco, and then releasing Antti Niemi, divided many Blackhawk fans.
Some people thought the Hawks had made a mistake. Others tried to see the positive in getting a veteran goaltender.
If you’re one of those that are angry at the Hawks for letting Niemi go, you can’t stay angry for long.
WGN television has reported that the Blackahawks and former Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco have come to an one year agreement worth $1.75 million. This move has been rumored to happen once the offseason began.
Now it’s inevitable that Niemi will be moved, whether he will be traded or the Hawks just won’t agree to the $2.75 million set at arbitration.
Saturday, the arbitrator riled that Antti Niemi is worth $2.75 million, a number that is in the range of the Blackahawks if they want to sign him.
If the Hawks sign Niemi, expect it to be his last year with the Hawks. Niemi will become an unrestricted free agent, and with a decent year he’ll be up for more money, bringing the Hawks back to right where we started.
Blackhawks fans received some good news on July 12 when the Hawks agreed to match San Jose’s offer sheet of four years, $14 million to keep young defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson.
That’s great news for the fans and the organization. Stan Bowman indicated Hjalmarsson is now part of the core. Just like recent free agency news about the Blackhawks, the signing comes with a price. Most likely a loss of another top player.
After Hjalmarsson’s pay raise, the Hawks are back to the problem they can’t escape this offseason: the salary cap.
Including the newcomers, the Hawks have 15 players signed to about $54.3 million, not including the $4 million bonuses given to Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, pushing the salary to about $58.3 million.
The salary cap is $59.4 million.
Assuming Cristobal Huet is traded away or comes off the payroll somehow, that leaves the payroll to about $52.7 million. And assuming the Hawks only carry 22 players and don’t spend past $58 million to save for injuries, that leaves the Hawks with $5.3 million to work with eight players. An average of $662,000 each.
Problem is the Hawks still have Niemi to sign, and he will definitely get more than $662,000. I’ve heard Antti Niemi will likely get $2.5 million.
If Niemi gets that amount, that doesn’t leave much room for the remaining seven players. The payroll would be at $55.2 million, leaving an average of $400,000 for the seven others.
The NHL minimum salary is $500,000. Someone has to go.
The Blackhawks played their second playoff game to absolute brilliance.
Antti Niemi stopped all 23 shots made his way, giving the Hawks a 2-0 win while also tying the series at 1.
There would be no third period flop for the Hawks Sunday night, as there was Friday night. The Hawks went into the third the exact same way they did Friday: up by one.
But the end result was different this time around.
It took nearly took 60 minutes for the Hawks to score, but when they did, it was huge. A Kris Versteeg goal with 26 seconds left gave the Hawks a point and the possibility of another in OT.
It had the feeling of a playoff game all over it. No penalties, close score, and an overtime. In fact, the last NHL game without a penalty was back in 2001.
The win can be much attributed to Hawks’ goaltender, Antti Niemi, who, once again, played rock solid, cementing his chance of becoming the playoff starting goalie.
Something big needed to happen. Something to stop the bleeding. Something to help the Hawks get back on their skates and help end a three game losing streak.
That something happened Wednesday night.
A 4-0 shutout of the Minnesota Wild could be the perfect catalyst to light the fire under the Hawks for the last stretch of the regular season.
The Chicago Blackhawks have the speed, talent, depth, and motivation to become the team at the end of the year to take the Stanley Cup home to Chicago for the first time since 1961.
But one thing is coming in between them and that goal: inconsistent goaltending.
It’s nothing new for the Hawks, but it’s definitely something that needs to be talked about. Everybody was expecting the Hawks to make a goaltender trade before the trade deadline last week, but it never came.
The Hawks’ biggest problem was exploited to the fullest Tuesday evening as the Hawks played terribly in a 5-3 loss to New York. It was definitely a game to forget, and a game that reassured that the Hawks have a goaltender problem.
Antti Niemi started the game but never finished it. He was yanked out of the net less than three minutes into the second period after giving up two goals in 25 seconds.
Another win by the Blackhawks, their fourth straight, and I’m beginning to believe that Antti Niemi is starting to shed his back-up role as a goaltender.
Niemi has looked sharp in net the past four games. He has come up huge in two shootouts, one in Columbus and one at home against Atlanta. While his goals against average has risen during this four game stretch, he has won every single game and has stopped 11 of 12 skaters in a shootout.
Most importantly he is doing what every team needs their goalie to do: come up big in clutch plays.
Blackhawks’ coach Joel Quennville announced Friday afternoon that goaltender Antti Niemi will be getting his third straight start against the Atlanta Thrashers Saturday night.
“He’s coming off a couple of strong wins,” Quenneville said after practice on Friday. “He’s got some momentum in his game right now. Let’s keep it going.”
Niemi has been great in goal recently for the Hawks, beating both St. Louis 2-1 and Dallas 4-3 in a shootout. It’ll be another great chance for the youngster to further prove he is the goalie for the Hawks in the future. This is the first time Niemi has started three games in a row.
Blackhawks coach Joel Quennville did confirm that goaltender, Antti Niemi, will get his his second start in a row tonnight against the Vancouver Canucks.
“Based on how well he’s played, keep him going,” Quenneville said after Friday’s practice at GM Place in Vancouver.
Cristobal Huet, not to be outdone by teammate Antti Niemi, shut out the St. Louis Blues 3-0. That’s the second shutout for Huet this year, but that’s not the important issue here.
What’s more important is I am seeing some really strong potential for a Stanley Cup championship this year now that it seems like the Hawks no longer have a goaltender problem.
Antti Niemi just capped off his 3rd shutout of the season in only his 7th start, beating the Tampa Bay Lighting 4-0. How does he keep doing this?
A better question is when will Coach Quennville give him more playing time?
Niemi deserves to get more time in the net, if not being the Hawks’ starter. He has a league leading 1.50 GAA and a stellar 6-1-1 record. It’s not easy to just come off the bench, not playing for a whole week, and just stone the opposing team, but Niemi has done that this season.
His efforts need to be rewarded with more playing time.
