Since the beginning of the season, NHL teams in need of a goaltender have been directed towards either Antero Niittymaki of the San Jose Sharks or Evgeni Nabokov of the New York Islanders. Several weeks ago, Islanders starting goaltender Rick DiPietro was shut down for the season due to injuries so Nabokov is essentially off the market. Earlier today, the Sharks placed Niittymaki on waivers, making him available to all 29 other teams. Here is a list of the three most suitable destinations for the 31-year old netminder.
Carolina Hurricanes
Cam Ward is undoubtedly the Hurricanes number one goaltender and with the team currently last in the Eastern Conference they’re in no position to make a run at the playoffs. Why Niittymaki makes sense for the Hurricanes is the development of goaltending prospect, Justin Peters. His development has come to a crawl this season because he's not playing.
An injury to back-up goaltender Brian Boucher resulted in Peters being called up to the Hurricanes. After starting two games in relief of Ward, reality sank in; he’s not ready. He allowed nine goals in two games, posting a 4.58 Goals Against Average and .898 Save Percentage. It’s forced Ward into 44 of the team’s 51 games this season. Peters needs to play and Ward needs some rest. Adding Niittymaki would give Ward relief and allow for Peters to get playing opportunities in the minors.
Time is running out for the 25-year old Peters to prove he can make it in the NHL and sitting on the bench is proving nothing. With no update on Boucher’s potential return, Niittymaki should become a priority for the Hurricanes.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Niittymaki likely isn’t on the Blue Jackets radar but he should be. Steve Mason hasn’t shown the talent that earned him the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year in 2008-09. He’s played just three games in the month of January and hasn’t won a game since December 29, 2011. He’s also allowed three or more goals in each of his last four games. Curtis Sanford has taken the starting job from Mason.
It’s time the Blue Jackets removed Mason from the spotlight, get him some starts in a less competitive environment and hope for the 23-year old to refocus, build his confidence and develop some momentum. If they still view Mason as their franchise goaltender, a step back and some retooling is necessary.
The problem is, Columbus has a plethora of goaltenders in their system. They have two strong developing talents in Allen York and Mathieu Corbeil-Theriault and veteran goaltender Manny Legace. There isn’t much room in the AHL for another goaltender but Columbus can’t bring up Legace to work with Mason without him clearing waivers first.
However, they can send Mason down without penalty. While Sanford is a veteran himself, he doesn’t have near the experience of Legace, who won a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002. It’s an environment that Mason can benefit from and if the Blue Jackets add Niittymaki, they won’t need to force either York or Corbeil-Theriault into NHL action before they’re ready.
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks waited anxiously for Niittymaki to recover from hip surgery in hopes of cashing in on a starved goaltender market. Problem is, nobody is biting. Niittymaki has been sent to the minors twice since recovering from surgery for conditioning stints. The objective was to show that he’s not hindered by an injury that has kept him out the entire season to this point. In five starts he posted a 2-3 record with a 3.01 GAA and an .890 SV%. While he may have shown his hip can handle the grind of an 60-minute game, his numbers were less than impressive.
In the time it took for Niittymaki to become healthy, teams in need of a goalie found answers within their organization. Mathieu Garon of the Tampa Bay Lightning has shown he can handle the position while veteran Dwayne Roloson steps in for the occasional start. The Florida Panthers have seen Jose Theodore playing closer to his Hart Trophy season as the NHL’s most valuable player in 2002, while Scott Clemmensen and Jacob Markstrom have created stability in the back-up position.
Team’s like New Jersey and Ottawa may stop to think about possibly adding Niittymaki as insurance or stability in the back-up role but they aren’t likely to pull the trigger. It’s quite possible that Niittymaki goes unclaimed and returns to the Worcester Sharks of the AHL but the Sharks don’t want to keep him there, taking valuable starts from All-Star Tyson Sexsmith. With the NHL trade deadline not until February 27, the Sharks would still have plenty of time to decide what their next move may be.
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