Confirmed with Link: Penguins sign Antti Niemi (1 year, $700k)

[JTG]

Filled the backup goaltender role with a veteran with no term and near league minimum. Can't hate it at all and leaves us a ton of flexibility.

 

[Shady Machine]

Have you watched him play at any point over the past four seasons? He was subpar near the end of his tenure in San Jose and downright pathetic in Dallas. Furthermore, outside of one brilliant playoff run, he has consistently played poorly when it matters the most. By poorly, I mean that he makes Fleury look like a strong playoff performer.

No, people don't like this for good reason. The only mitigating factors are the low cost and the fact that there's zero term attached.

He's not going to play "when it matters". We signed him to play 19 back to backs against the lesser of the two teams plus a few random other games. He's definitely capable of that.

 

[Brandinho]

He's not going to play "when it matters". We signed him to play 19 back to backs against the lesser of the two teams plus a few random other games. He's definitely capable of that.

Ideally, he won't play when it matters, which is the case for every single backup goalie in the NHL.

However, that wasn't my point. The person I replied seemed to be implying that because he had one good playoff run, that is somehow a positive quality he possesses, even though he's been complete garbage every other time he's been in the playoffs.

 

[Burgs]

If Murray goes down after the deadline we're most likely doomed anyway. We'd have had to throw over 2 million a year at a guy like Miller today to get a real 1B goalie. I think a good 3rd center is more important than a great backup. And JR obviously does, too, and has allocated cap space accordingly. I'm a little bit worried because of Murray's tendency to get run over by teammates and opponents alike, and the many back-to-backs we'll have to play. But at only 700k Niemi is worth a try. Hopefully Buckley and playing on a good team can get him back on track.

 

[Brandinho]

If Murray goes down after the deadline we're most likely doomed anyway. We'd have had to throw over 2 million a year at a guy like Miller to get a real 1B. I think a good 3rd center is more important than a great backup.

I'm a little bit worried because of Murray's tendency to get run over by teammates and opponents alike, and the many back-to-backs we'll have to play. But at only 700k Niemi is worth a try. Maybe Buckley can get him back on track.

If Murray goes down after the deadline, we just have to hope that Jarry is ready. Agree with everything else you said, I'd also rather invest the money in a good third line center.

 

[NMK11]

He's not going to play "when it matters". We signed him to play 19 back to backs against the lesser of the two teams plus a few random other games. He's definitely capable of that.

This. I watched him play a few times over the past years and not just vs the pens. And yeah, hes not great, but people need to stop comparing him as tandem starter rather than as a backup.

If he had signed for $2 million I would have had a problem, but $700k as our organizations essentially third goalie is great.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

It's the right risk/reward move for this team.

We wanted an established vet guy who had no expectations of being a starter, and for dirt cheap. Niemi's won a Cup and there's always the chance that Dallas was responsible for a good part of his dip in numbers.

Sic Buckley on him and see what happens. If he fails, we always have Jarry around.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

It's the right risk/reward move for this team.

We wanted an established vet guy who had no expectations of being a starter, and for dirt cheap. Niemi's won a Cup and there's always the chance that Dallas was responsible for a good part of his dip in numbers.

Sic Buckley on him and see what happens. If he fails, we always have Jarry around.

Not to mention he's so cheap that his salary won't prevent JR from going out and picking up a better backup at the TDL, if he needs to.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Not to mention he's so cheap that his salary won't prevent JR from going out and picking up a better backup at the TDL, if he needs to.

Very true. Good flexibility and risk management here.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

The Pens haven't handed out any contracts that are bad deals in a vacuum, but they haven't upgraded any part of the team, while the D and G positions and the 4th line are all worse than they were at the beginning of last season. And there's really only room for one more transaction of significance.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The Pens haven't handed out any contracts that are bad deals in a vacuum, but they haven't upgraded any part of the team, while the D and G positions and the 4th line are all worse than they were at the beginning of last season. And there's really only room for one more transaction of significance.

The defense isn't worse than at the beginning of last season, especially considering Schultz wasn't where he was at now at the start of last season.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

The defense isn't worse than at the beginning of last season

This evaluation is based entirely on the premise that Hunwick isn't a worse player than Daley. Without you pointing me to some evidence that this is true, I don't accept that premise.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

The Pens haven't handed out any contracts that are bad deals in a vacuum, but they haven't upgraded any part of the team, while the D and G positions and the 4th line are all worse than they were at the beginning of last season. And there's really only room for one more transaction of significance.

But now we don't have Kunitz. Net gain: Priceless.

I'm eager to see what this Lambo can do with the e-brake off.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

The Pens haven't handed out any contracts that are bad deals in a vacuum, but they haven't upgraded any part of the team, while the D and G positions and the 4th line are all worse than they were at the beginning of last season. And there's really only room for one more transaction of significance.

Including the G position as getting weaker is a bit strange to me. We knew that we were going to "downgrade" because we were moving out a starter and replacing him with a backup.

The other positions are TBA still because we don't know what else JR has planned. Hunwick was brought in to essentially play the #6 role. And his contract isn't so huge that he's going to prevent JR from improving the top four.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

This evaluation is based entirely on the premise that Hunwick isn't a worse player than Daley. Without you pointing me to some evidence that this is true, I don't accept that premise.

Unless he ninja-edited the last part of his post, it's also based on the premise that we know Schultz is a lot better now than we knew he was at the beginning of last season.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Remember when a solid 40% of this board wanted us to trade MAF for him straight up last year? Good tymes.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Including the G position as getting weaker is a bit strange to me. We knew that we were going to "downgrade" because we were moving out a starter and replacing him with a backup.

The fact that we knew it would happen doesn't change the fact that the Penguins got worse at that position, and haven't gotten better anywhere else to compensate.

Unless he ninja-edited the last part of his post, it's also based on the premise that we know Schultz is a lot better now than we knew he was at the beginning of last season.

The fact that we didn't know how good Schultz was is irrelevant. We had him then and we know how good he is.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Remember when a solid 40% of this board wanted us to trade MAF for him straight up last year? Good tymes.

I wasn't one of them. I preferred a buyout over trading for other terrible contracts.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The fact that we didn't know how good Schultz was is irrelevant. We had him then and we know how good he is.

Schultz wasn't good before last season though, he didn't really come on until like 20 games into last year.

Hunwick last year was better than Daley last year. Go look at his advanced stats, he was both an offensive driver and a defensive suppressor. Daley was awful in both of those.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

The fact that we didn't know how good Schultz was is irrelevant. We had him then and we know how good he is.

It's relevant, because you're using hindsight. By the same token, we don't yet know how good some of our defenseman will be this year.

 

[Peat]

It's relevant, because you're using hindsight. By the same token, we don't yet know how good some of our defenseman will be this year.

Imagine if this is the year Pouliot finally breaks out Or Maatta gets his skating back!

 

[Cherpak]

Now I'm pissed. Kuemper to LA 1 yr 650K .

 

[wej20]

Now I'm pissed. Kuemper to LA 1 yr 650K .

Kuemper's numbers weren't that good considering he played on the Wild.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Now I'm pissed. Kuemper to LA 1 yr 650K .

Why, the $50k difference? Kuemper is a low-end back-up coming off an atrocious season, he's just another variation on Jeff Zatkoff.

Dubnyk as a Wild (damn it, get a better name Minnesota): 99-54-13, 2.17, .924,
Kuemper the past 3 seasons (same basic timeframe): 28-24-10, 2.70, .907
Zatkoff as a Penguin (just for fun): 16-14-3, 2.66, .915

 

[Cherpak]

Kuemper's numbers weren't that good considering he played on the Wild.

Kuemper played 18 games and had 1 down season. Niemi has made career of down seasons in Dallas.