Dallas Stars May Have Found Savior They Need In Antti Niemi

On June 27th, 2015, the Dallas Stars were in the midst of a scramble to find a hopefully competent and compatible goalie to complement Kari Lehtonen. With the 2015 NHL Entry Draft dragging out around them, GM Jim Nill made a move that surprised most.

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While rumors had been swirling around that the Stars were interested and even potentially closing in on a deal for New York Rangers backup Cam Talbot, Nill took a detour. In a surprising announcement, the Stars traded away the seventh round pick they were going to use just minutes later to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for veteran goaltender Antti Niemi.

Niemi had no contract at the time and was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent just four days later. But it only took the Stars 48 hours to lock him in when they signed the 32-year old net-minder to a three-year deal worth $13.5 million. That means that the Stars had over $10 million invested in goaltenders, something you do not see often in the NHL.

Some were questionable about the possibility of managing two starting-caliber goalies on the roster and both continually producing. The main dilemma is that both goalies were adept to playing 60-65 games a year and would now be cut down to potentially 40 games a piece. On paper, it seemed as though only progress could come out of this. But there were some potential pitfalls sniffed out by Stars fans.

But the primary concern was to figure out which goalie would earn the “starting” role, however strict that role may be. There was speculation that the Dallas Stars may attempt to do a dual-starter system and flip between one and the other in certain scenarios. That may be able to work, but eventually there will more than likely need to be a definite starter.

Antti Niemi took the first step in that endeavor on Thursday night. After a shaky preseason campaign, Niemi was named the starter for opening night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This would be the first time in five years that Lehtonen would not start the first game of the year in net. It would also be Niemi’s first time in front of a packed Dallas crowd. New arena, new team, new expectations.

But Niemi could not have played any better than he did. He played the entire 60 minute procession and stood tall through every passing second. In the end, he clenched his 33rd career shutout with 37 saves in total. Along with two assists, Niemi set and broke multiple rather descriptive records, but nonetheless he did.

Niemi put on an absolute clinic in the crease, agitating the Penguins with every save seeming craftier than the one prior. In the final two minutes, there was a span where Niemi made three jaw-dropping saves that helped him preserve the shutout and snag the Stars a 3-0 win.

“Not much better than this. Great night,” Niemi said. “Great effort from our team, great penalty kill. Lots of luck, too, especially at the end.”

Niemi proved to Dallas Stars fans in game one that he is worth the money and roster spot. What a way to start off his career in Dallas and help the Stars front office to look top-notch.

The Stars have been waiting years for a competent second-man to take over the crease in times of struggle. Have they finally found what they have spent half a decade searching for? It is a start, but Niemi will need to keep this pace up if he wants to lock in his position. But either way, it’s pretty stellar to know that the Stars scooped Niemi up for a seventh-rounder. It’s definitely going to be a fun season with him between the pipes.

It is unclear on whether he will start in net or not tonight against the Avalanche, but we will know soon. Whether he is allowed to continue his hot streak or Lehtonen is given his first opportunity to prove himself, the Stars should have a pretty good-looking crease tonight. Check back to Blackout Dallas later for pregame coverage of tonight’s tilt from Colorado!

Next: Three Things The Stars Learned About Their Team On Opening Night

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