The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed backup goaltender Antti Niemi to a one-year deal worth $950,000
The Montreal Canadiens are looking to get more out of their goaltenders next season. Carey Price, whose massive extension begins next season, had arguably the worst season of his career. However, backup goalie Antti Niemi, who posted a .929 save percentage in 17 games (16 starts), was one of their few bright spots.
Niemi has been rewarded with a one-year extension. His deal is a one-way deal and has a $950,000 cap hit. Niemi was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, but the Canadiens wanted to make sure to keep him around.
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Keeping him is a smart move by Montreal. Even though Price is the starting goalie, he has missed time due to injuries in two of his past three seasons. So the Canadiens must have a solid backup in order to have a chance of success in 2018-19.
Niemi did extremely well for Montreal after getting off to a rough start with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers. With the former, he allowed 16 goals in just three appearances. During his time with the Panthers, Niemi allowed five goals in two appearances. The Canadiens claimed him off of waivers after Florida put him on.
This also works well for Charles Lindgren. He’s a future backup goaltender for the Canadiens, posting impressive numbers wherever he has gone. However, Lindgren still needs a bit more playing time, so being in the AHL makes sense.
He is still exempt from waivers, so the Canadiens won’t risk anything by keeping him in the minors. Niemi gives Montreal a ton of flexibility in net. And even if he doesn’t work out, they could bury his $950,00 cap hit in the minors. This is a very low-risk signing for the Canadiens that should help them improve in 2018-19.
In 447 career appearances (426 starts), Niemi has a .913 save percentage and a 2.52 goals against average. He won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2009-10. Niemi has also spent time with the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars.