Would You Trade Antti Niemi?

[Crafton]

I think he's lost the form that helped him lead the Hawks to a cup.

is that the form that had him barley outplay Leighton/Boucher?

i think he's been better as a Shark than he was a Blackhawk. that said, i'm not wedded to him.

 

[ThePlanet]

My ideal tandem going into next season would be Stalock and Jonas Gustavsson.

 

[Hold the Pickles]

My ideal tandem going into next season would be Stalock and Jonas Gustavsson.

That's not bad, I like the idea of having one nimble puck player and one bigger goalie platooning... not sure where I heard that one before.

 

[SHAR KS]

He should be the first one out the door.

 

[Bowie22]

I will drive Ni3mi to the airport with a zamboni.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

I have a niemi shirt so I'd need to figure out what to do with that...but yea, he's just not reliable enough

 

[SactoShark]

I will drive Ni3mi to the airport with a zamboni.

Pretty sure Niemi can drive a Zamboni and goaltend better than you. Maybe you can fly the plane?

 

[VanIslander]

Over 90% think so?



He's not the problem.

 

[hohosaregood]

Over 90% think so?



He's not the problem.

He totally wasn't a solution either. He couldn't even make a lot of normally routine saves this year.

 

[Le Rosbeef]

He totally wasn't a solution either. He couldn't even make a lot of normally routine saves this year.

.... We all know how Doug Wilson likes to look at the playoffs for his model.

This year the two finalists had franchise goalies and arguably the best player before he got injured was another goalie in Montreal.

Watch for the copycat...

 

[Gene Parmesan]

.... We all know how Doug Wilson likes to look at the playoffs for his model.

This year the two finalists had franchise goalies and arguably the best player before he got injured was another goalie in Montreal.

Watch for the copycat...

I think that ship has sailed.

 

[Le Rosbeef]

I think that ship has sailed.

I hear you. I wonder inside if he sees either Stalock or Niemi as that long term answer though - that was my suggestion. If he doesn't, I wonder if he's going to be tempted to go for Demko with that first round pick...

 

[Bizz]

Over 90% think so?



He's not the problem.

Niemi is the worst goaltender is Sharks history. He's more than a problem.

 

[Coily]

Niemi is the worst goaltender is Sharks history. He's more than a problem.

I don't know about that.

We have had some pretty terrible netminders.

 

[Pavelski2112]

Niemi is the worst goaltender is Sharks history. He's more than a problem.

Uh no.

 

[Rickety Cricket]

Niemi is the worst goaltender is Sharks history. He's more than a problem.

*********.

Brian Hayward
Jimmy Waite
Geoff Sargeant
Kelly Hrudey
Vesa Toskala
Dimtri Patzold
Thomas Greiss


Are worse than Niemi.

 

[DystopianTierney]

Not the worst.

Still a problem.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Not the worst.

Still a problem.

He's not really a problem. He's just not really a solution either. Goaltending is replaceable and expendable in this day and age.

 

[DystopianTierney]

He's not really a problem. He's just not really a solution either. Goaltending is replaceable and expendable in this day and age.

Disagree, Niemi has had one good season as a Shark. He's a liability in net and a huge momentum killer. His lateral speed, glove high, rebound control, and poise under pressure are all problems.

Fortunately, like you said, goaltending is replaceable and expendable in this day and age.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Disagree, Niemi has had one good season as a Shark. He's a liability in net and a huge momentum killer. His lateral speed, glove high, rebound control, and poise under pressure are all problems.

Fortunately, like you said, goaltending is replaceable and expendable in this day and age.

I would say two good seasons but when Niemi's good, he's good and when he's bad, he's bad. He's certainly limited to some extent but he showed he can backstop a team to a Cup if they're good enough. To me, that just shows any NHL caliber goalie can back stop a team if they're good enough so the focus should be on making the group of skaters in front of the goalie as good as it possibly can be and develop your own goalies then let them go when they start to get pricey. Those are things this organization should be able to do but they've been cutting their homegrown goalies short since Nabokov left.

 

[SJeasy]

I would say two good seasons but when Niemi's good, he's good and when he's bad, he's bad. He's certainly limited to some extent but he showed he can backstop a team to a Cup if they're good enough. To me, that just shows any NHL caliber goalie can back stop a team if they're good enough so the focus should be on making the group of skaters in front of the goalie as good as it possibly can be and develop your own goalies then let them go when they start to get pricey. Those are things this organization should be able to do but they've been cutting their homegrown goalies short since Nabokov left.

They stopped doing their own post Strelow. Greiss had minimal exposure to Strelow. Stalock was minimal but is effectively post Strelow. Their hit rate on goalies was never good but Strelow had a better hit rate. You can figure the implications.

 

[OrrNumber4]

In pressure situations, Niemi's been good. One loss in OT come the playoffs...

 

[Juxtaposer]

Niemi is the worst goaltender is Sharks history. He's more than a problem.

Are you sure Thomas "Ein" Greiss isn't worse?

 

[Pinkfloyd]

In pressure situations, Niemi's been good. One loss in OT come the playoffs...

It doesn't matter if he's giving up goals in non-pressure situations not giving his team a chance to win. His save percentage is pedestrian in the playoffs for us.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

In pressure situations, Niemi's been good. One loss in OT come the playoffs...

No he hasn't. Every second of a playoff game is a pressure situation and he was pretty bad these playoffs, he cost us game 4.