Teams That Can Benefit Most From Adding Antti Niemi

It’s not common for a player to go from Stanley Cup Champion to unrestricted free agent in the fashion that 26-year old Finnish goaltender Antti Niemi did. Though he sought a salary believed to be in the range of $3-4 million a season on a long-term deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, he also filed for salary arbitration and accepted the possibility of making less. Unfortunately for him, General Manager Stan Bowman did not accept the very fair offer of $2.75 million given to Niemi by the arbitrator because of the ‘Hawks’ tight salary cap situation. Instead, they signed Marty Turco to a one year, $1.3 million deal and sent Niemi to the unrestricted free agent market one year earlier than he otherwise would have been eligible.

Now it is time to see if the offseason spent playing hardball by Niemi and his agent, Bill Zito, will result in a more fruitful situation for the 42-regular season game NHL “veteran.” Although no exact list of interested teams has come to light, let’s take a look at some teams that could most benefit from adding Niemi into their goaltending corp.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Over the years, the Columbus Blue Jackets have worked hard to get out of the basement and actually become a playoff contender. Two years ago, they realized that goal by making the postseason for the first time in the franchise’s 10–year history. The team’s ability to get there was due, in large part, to the play of then-rookie goaltender Steve Mason, who received the Calder Memorial Trophy for his phenomenal play throughout the season.

Unfortunately, Mason’s sophomore season included a slump and he didn’t play near to the level of his first year in the league. As a result, the Blue Jackets went back to the outside looking in on the playoff picture. Some doubt now exists over Mason’s ability to backstop this club into a perennial contender.

Of course, there is hope that he can find his game next season. That would truly be the best case scenario for Columbus, since his rookie play was far better than anything Niemi will offer. But if Mason’s career goes the way of Andrew Raycroft, it’ll be hard to hand over the keys to the car to him too much longer. The Blue Jackets may need to seek a more consistent net presence, which will be not Mathieu Garon either.

Niemi would provide an upgrade from what Mason offered a season ago and would be a suitable replacement. The Blue Jackets likely wouldn’t get rid of Mason and would figure out a way to work Niemi’s playing time around spotting Mason 20-25 games through the season, as well. It would just leave Garon as the odd man out. And his $1.2 million salary can either be dealt or very easily buried in the AHL, where he would spend a season in Syracuse before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch disagrees with this notion, and feels that Columbus is pretty well set with Mason and Garon. But as Bruce Ciskie of Fanhouse points out, it all depends on the confidence the Blue Jackets have in Mason. After last year, you have to wonder …

40-Year Old Selanne Returning To Ducks For Another Season

Not yet ready to follow the lead of Scott Niedermayer and call it a career, Teemu Selanne has decided to return for his 12th season with the Anaheim Ducks and 18th overall in the NHL. An official announcement was made by the Ducks on Monday that Selanne put pen to paper on a new one year contract. The 40-year old Finnish Flash will earn a base salary of $3.25 million with the possibility of making another $1.25 million in bonuses for a total cap hit of $4.5 million, according to CapGeek. He also has a no-movement clause.

“After thinking about it for the last few months, I’ve decided to return to play for the Ducks,” Selanne said in a statement. “I’m excited about the summer additions the team has made. I know this team can win.”

While Selanne is up there in age, and a mixture of injuries and retirement contemplation have forced him to miss plenty of games over the past three seasons, it’s very hard to argue that his productivity is not worth the Ducks bringing him back into the fold. In 54 games last season, he buried 27 goals and added 21 helpers for 48 points – 27 of which were on the power play.

Kovalchuk, Devils Get Contract "Bloch"ed



It took several weeks for Ilya Kovalchuk to finally reach a decision on a contract this summer, and it now appears as if he will need to spend a few more finding a new one. On Monday, independent arbitrator Richard Bloch handed down his ruling in the case between the NHL and the NHLPA/Kovalchuk with regard to the 17-year, $102 million contract the 27-year old Russian winger inked with the New Jersey Devils on July 20. That ruling was in favor of the NHL.

Kovalchuk’s contract is now null and void, meaning he re-enters the unrestricted free agency pool with the option of yet against exploring offers from all NHL (and KHL) teams. The possibility exists that the Devils and he may return to the drawing board and re-structure the contract to be less circumventive. The Los Angeles Kings may also get back into the mix.

To many, this was a surprise decision by Bloch considering the numerous contracts prior to Kovalchuk’s that abused the same loophole as Devils GM Lou Lamoriello to reduce salary cap hits. Marian Hossa, Roberto Luongo and others all have "lifetime" deals that pay them far more money during their prime playing days than those when they are far less likely to even be playing at all.

Bloch, however, found this type of "retirement contract" (as Nick Kypreos puts it) to be the most egregious and agreed with the NHL's agrument, according to Sports Business Journal's Liz Mullen, that the contract is unlikely to reach its conclusion. Even if playing until 44 years of age is possibe,  it is "well beyond the typical retirement age of NHL players," Bloch said, according to Kypreos.

Modano Returning Home To Detroit

 

Although his 20-year career with the Dallas Stars/Minnesota North Stars franchise concluded at the end of last season, the 40-year old center wasn’t yet ready to hang up the skates. After summer long speculation and an early week report by The Detroit Free Press that he finally made a decision, Mike Modano confirmed on Tuesday that he will play next season for his hometown Detroit Red Wings in an interview with Scoreboard Monthly.

“It was a lot of back and forth internally, but I ultimately decided I wasn’t ready to hang up the skates so I’m going to Detroit,” Modano told the Dallas/Fort Worth based magazine.

Modano is expected to make an official announcement tomorrow regarding this move. ESPN Dallas reported that Modano was offered $1.25 million over a one year pact by General Manager Ken Holland, and it’s anticipated that he will at least start the season as the team’s third line pivot.

It’s hard to imagine Modano sporting a sweater other than the Stars’ because the entirety of his career has been spent there to this point. But when the team decided to get younger and move on without him, he was given a free pass to choose whatever destination best suited him. And that turned out to be Detroit, where he will now play 41 regular season and any number of postseason games in front of fans from his home state of Michigan.

Modano considered offers from the Minnesota Wild and the San Jose Sharks. But a talk with friend and former-Stars teammate Brett Hull ultimately led him to choose the Red Wings.

“I did talk to Brett and some other past and present Red Wings and it made me feel very comfortable with my decision," Modano said. "They all told me what a great organization and city it is to play in. And mix in the incredible talent they have playing there and it kind of made my decision for me.”

This is essentially a Jeremy Roenick move for Modano. When Roenick decided to join the Sharks in the last few years of his career, it was mainly to provide some leadership and experience to a squad already primed to make a run at the Stanley Cup. Along the way, Roenick chipped in on the score sheet and proved to be an invaluable commodity during the playoffs.

Modano should play a similar role with Detroit. The Red Wings are already a favorite to challenge for the Cup. The addition of Modano simply adds to their depth, which is no small play considering how much the team values contribution from all four lines. Modano will not need to carry the Red Wings on his shoulders like he did, at least in part, with the Stars. His experience, ability to score and playmaking skills are all Detroit needs from somebody expected to add to an already good team. And if early season play justifies it, his role may grow to garner him plenty of power play ice time and even a promotion to second line center duties.

It’s Official: Blackhawks Walk Away From Niemi Award, Sign Turco To One Year Deal

 

The Chicago Blackhawks had until Monday afternoon to determine if they would accept Antti Niemi’s $2.75 million arbitration award, or step away from him and seek a cheaper replacement in between the pipes. Reports surfaced late Sunday evening from WGN and relayed by The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta that Chicago may have signed former-Dallas Star Marty Turco to a one year deal at $1.75 million. Pagnotta later shot down these reports as inaccurate. But they weren’t far off the mark.

It was officially announced on Monday that the Blackhawks did indeed ink Turco to a one year contract, though it was for an even better $1.3 million. Chicago subsequently stepped away from Niemi’s award and the 26-year old is now free to join any of the other 29 teams in the NHL as an unrestricted free agent. He becomes the eighth member of the Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks team to depart this summer.

“We exhausted all of our options to make this work,” Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman said in reference to Niemi on a conference call Monday. “This is the direction that made the most sense. You have to have flexibility within your roster and this was the best way to defend the Cup.”

Bowman is now ready to shift his attention toward Cristobal Huet and the $5.625 million he is set to earn in each of the next two seasons. Bowman is perfectly happy with a combination of Turco and the $800,000 Corey Crawford, who will combine to earn less than the $2.75 million Niemi would have made alone had Chicago accepted his award. Therefore, there is no reason to keep Huet around and getting his salary off the books is essential to become cap compliant. According to CapGeek, the Blackhawks would go from being about $2.7 million over the $59.4 million maximum allowable payroll to $3,121,744 under it.

The option of waiving Huet and placing him in the minors has existed for a while. Additionally, there is some talk that Bowman may try to work with some teams in the KHL to take him off their hands. Either way, it’s safe to say he will not be suiting up in Chicago next season, while the new duo of Turco and Crawford are set to sport the crease for the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

Rangers Acquire Todd White From Thrashers

 

With the most important restricted free agent the New York Rangers entered the offseason with in Marc Still still un-signed, General Manager Glen Sather continues to plug away at other business. In the wee hours of Monday morning (about 1 a.m.), Michael Russo of The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Todd White had been dealt to the Rangers from the Atlanta Thrashers. No details were immediately made available about what Atlanta was receiving in return. That did not prevent speculation from revealing a package involving Michal Rozsival and a fourth round pick going the other way.

This deal was made official today, but it did not include the $5 million defenseman and a mid-round draft selection. Instead, the Rangers packaged Donald Brashear and Patrick Rissmiller to the Thrashers in exchange for White.

In White, the Rangers gain a veteran forward who can play center or left wing. He is coming off a fairly poor campaign in which he scored just seven goals and added 19 helpers for 26 points. White is, however, only two years removed from his best NHL season. In 2008-09, he managed to put up 22 goals and 51 assists for 73 points over the course of a full 82-game schedule. It may be wishful thinking on the Rangers’ end to figure he’ll get back to that mark. But White could still post in the neighborhood of 40-50 points and even challenge for a spot on the top two lines. If nothing else, he will provide a depth role for the Rangers and serve as a veteran leader for a team still intent on becoming a bit younger.

The only negative from the Rangers’ acquisition of White is that he brings $2.375 million to the table on the final year of his contract. While Brashear ($1.4 million) and Rissmiller ($1 million) essentially combine to match that mark, Rissmiller was going to end up in Hartford for another season while Brashear would either join him there or be bought out by the Rangers. Their total $2.4 million in salary would have never counted against the Rangers’ cap. Meanwhile, White’s will based on the likelihood of him actually suiting up on Broadway.

Brashear’s future in Atlanta will be a short one. He is expected to be bought out by the Thrashers once he clears waivers and will be free to sign up with another club looking for an aged enforcer who is not nearly as effective as he once was. Rissmiller, on the other hand, could be bought out, as well. There has been no firm indication toward such a move, though, and he may remain with the organization.

Ben Wright of Blueland Blog summed up the benefits this deal presents for the Thrashers:

1. It moves out a player who didn’t necessarily fit the plan for 2010-11 and who underperformed in 2009-10.
2. It frees up a roster spot for a young player like Patrice Cormier, Carl Klingberg, Fredrik Pettersson or Spencer Machacek.
3. It adds a depth asset in Patrick Rissmiller who can hit, kill penalties, and contribute on the scoresheet.
4. It saves some money which can be used in other ways if another opportunity to add a player comes up.

For a team that has been as severely remodelled like the Thrashers, these points make plenty of sense. Move out an aging player that it pretty pricey in order to open up a spot for one of the many Atlanta prospects waiting in the wings. I doubt Rissmiller will be even a minor contributor to the team. But even if he is not, that leave Atlanta with another $1 million on the books if they elect to send him down to the minors.

Turco To Chicago On A One Year Deal?

 

UPDATE (Aug. 1, 11:58 pm): David Pagnotta is now tweeting that he's been told the WGN report is inaccurate. He did not elaborate in what way - if it's a completely false rumor or if the terms are not correct. Either way, we'll have to way to see how this plays out.

ORIGINAL: The Chicago Blackhawks need to make a decision on whether to accept Antti Niemi’s salary arbitration award of $2.75 million for next season. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the organization may have already made up its mind.

Pagnotta tweeted late Sunday evening that reports out of Chicago are saying the Blackhawks have signed Marty Turco to a one year deal worth $1.75 million. There is no official confirmation of this deal, however WGN has mentioned his signing and that an announcement will be made tomorrow.

If these reports are true, that would seem to indicate the Blackhawks are prepared to walk away from Niemi’s award. The award handed down yesterday afternoon was a fair one, but General Manager Stan Bowman would still have difficulty getting under the salary cap if he accepted. Without Niemi’s contract, Chicago’s payroll stands at more than $400,000 over the $59.4 million maximum allowable payroll in the NHL. Niemi’s deal would bring that up to about $3.15 million over the cap. Turco’s speculated deal leaves it at a still complicated, but somewhat more manageable, $2.15 million over the cap.

Niemi's exit could end up revolving around a sign-and-trade scenario so that the Blackhawks don't lose out completely from his departure. If they choose to just step away, then Niemi will be free to sign with any other team.

When the Dallas Stars decided to head in a more youthful direction, Turco was one of the first long-tenured players from the team to be cast off. But the 34-year old, nine-year veteran has put together an incredible resume in the NHL and still stands as one of the better starting options around the league when he’s on his game. If he truly is replacing Niemi, Turco will be a steady substitute with more proven ability in the No. 1 position and plenty of postseason experience to help Chicago defend the Stanley Cup.

In 53 games last season – his fewest since his sophomore campaign, Turco went 22-20-11 with a .913 save percentage, 2.72 goals against average and four shutouts. The $1.75 million wage represents a sharp $3.65 million decline from the $5.4 million he earned last year.

Sharks Ink RFA Setoguchi To $1.8 Million Deal

 

The San Jose Sharks had a plethora of offseason talent issues to handle this summer and did most of their business either prior to or early on in the free agency period. Two matters still lingered for General Manager Doug Wilson, though, and he scratched one of them off the list Saturday afternoon. The Sharks re-signed restricted free agent right wing Devin Setoguchi on a one year deal worth $1.8 million.

“We’re happy to have Devin under contract for next season,” Wilson said in a statement from the Sharks’ official Web site. “He is an important part of our team and we are looking forward to his on-going growth as a player. We have very high expectations for him.”

Setoguchi, 23, is a big time player for the Sharks who should continue to develop into a dynamic top six forward. His production slipped a bit last season after racking up 31 goals and 34 assists for 65 points in 81 games back in 2008-09. Last year, he only tallied 20 goals and 16 assists for 36 points in 70 games played. But he also put up a career-high four game winners, and added five goals and nine points in 15 playoff games during San Jose’s trip to the Western Conference Finals.

Even with his reduced point output, a salary of $1.8 million does seem a bit low. But on a one year deal, he will have next season to prove he can be the 30-goal, 60+-point scorer from two years ago and subsequently earn a better long-term contract for far more money per season.

Wilson’s focus now shifts toward signing Joe Thornton to a contract extension. The 31-year old power forward has one year remaining at $7.2 million.