Are the Sharks going to resign Niemi?

[DaBoltsNIsles]

Just curious. This offseason I know Niemi, Vokoun & Anderson will be UFA's. I don't know the rest of the list but my team is going to need at least 1 UFA goalie. They have the cap space to outbid anybody too.

 

[li0lsh]

Niemi's future in SJ was clearly helped by the injury to Nitty. While nitty was on the bench tonight meaning he is cleared to play, Dmac would be crazy to put nitty in as Niemi has been so hot lately. Time will tell. It seems like no one knows what our GM is going to do

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

Niemi's future in SJ was clearly helped by the injury to Nitty. While nitty was on the bench tonight meaning he is cleared to play, Dmac would be crazy to put nitty in as Niemi has been so hot lately. Time will tell. It seems like no one knows what our GM is going to do

Thanks for the info. My team doesn't have 1 healthy NHL goalie right now. They traded him to Tampa for NOTHING.

I think I need another L.I. Ice tea it's going to be a long 25 or so games.

 

[li0lsh]

rep for L.I.T.s

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

Thanks. So far I'm still coherent. Of course I'm only on my second one so I could be out cold soon.

 

[Destroydacre]

I have to agree that I really don't know. However if I had to choose, I'd say that yes he is going to re-sign Niemi. Early in the season when Niemi was sucking and Niitty wasn't, the Sharks seemed reluctant to bench Niemi. The starting job has really been his all season and now that he's put together of stretch of good games, I don't think there's anything that'll change that. I'd expect Wilson to stick with Niemi again next year rather than have a different starting goalie for the third straight season. Obviously no inside info here, just my gut feeling.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

I have to agree that I really don't know. However if I had to choose, I'd say that yes he is going to re-sign Niemi. Early in the season when Niemi was sucking and Niitty wasn't, the Sharks seemed reluctant to bench Niemi. The starting job has really been his all season and now that he's put together of stretch of good games, I don't think there's anything that'll change that. I'd expect Wilson to stick with Niemi again next year rather than have a different starting goalie for the third straight season. Obviously no inside info here, just my gut feeling.

I would completely understand resigning him. He's been playing great. The question is will they do so before July 1st??

 

[Cbrower91]

If he doesn't perform when it matters who cares

 

[sjrules99]

If he doesn't perform when it matters who cares

yep. It looks pretty likely the the team will make the PO's at this point. Niemi was brought in because he won a cup and dougie wanted a cup winning tender. If they lose in the 1st round and niemi stinks it up, then I would say it's unlikely that he'll be back. If he does carry the team in the PO's and they go deep, then its more likely.

It also depends on dollars. Vokoun, bryzgalov, anderson and a couple others are, at this point, UFA's to be. As such, niemi may or may not get the big bucks. However, if the sharks go deep, he'll likely have the option to sign a big money long term deal. In that case, I can't see dougie giving term and dollars to him. Stalock has been biding his time in the A and is pretty much as the go or no go point. resigning niemi means a 'no' to stalock, and I honestly dont think dougie is gunna do that.

Just too early to tell. Depends if they are playing in late may... or JUNE?

 

[Slimpikins]

I would crap my pants if we could get Bryzgalov. Don't see it happening though. Like others have said it will really depend on how Niemi plays out this season.

 

[bdave]

In my honest opinion and I've said this from the beginning, Niemi is an underrated goalie by fans and the league. He's what we've wanted for years, a goalie that can stand on his head and has that self confidence. He's still got a long way to go obviously with this team but you got to think out of all the goalies in the league Niemi is at the top on the confidence scale. The sharks are winning because they have simplified their game plan but Niemi is in his own little world murdering everyone out there. This is some of the best hockey the sharks have played in years. We'll just have to see how the rest of the season pans out though.

 

[caliraftdude]

He'd look a lot better with Wallin and Huskins playing for someone else...

 

[Cbrower91]

Just read polloks blog and it sounds like its a wait and see approach by niemi and his agent. That being said it also sound like he really likes it in san jose and the organization, and what the coaches have done for him

 

[sjrules99]

I could easily see him being resigned. I dont think anything will happen pre-playoffs, so the results there will likely determine what dougie does. A 1st round flame-out will have a very different effect on the team than a cup championship. A lot also depends on the extent of stalock's injury. If he is out a long time and it's unclear if he can return to full form, then that makes resigning niemi that much of a priority.

Personally, I'd love to get niemi extended for 4M/yr for 2 years. Get rid of nitty to anyone who will take him, and let stalock have 15-20 games as the back up for niemi for a couple years, so he'll have 40+ games of NHL experience before taking the reigns. he'll be around 26 at that point, which is a good age to become the #1 guy. that also allows Sateri to come over from Europe and become the #1 starter in Worcester, so we can see what we got there.

 

[Nimesis23]

This topic of the team's goaltending is really interesting to me. Does anyone on here have a better idea of all the prospects we have in the system and which ones are actually projected to be NHL starters? I've heard a lot about Stalock but what happened to Greiss? Was getting Nitty/Niemi in the off-season the organization's way of telling him he's not gonna be a starter? Beyond Stalock who else is in the pipeline that's legit starter material?