It’s been one of the most overused lines among Montreal Canadiens fans, but Antti Niemi has been great for the team and could be an option for other teams.
Antti Niemi capped off his seventh game and fifth start for the Montreal Canadiens last night with a 2-0 loss. No one is hanging it over his head though, and no one should. The 34-year-old stopped 21 of 23 shots thrown his way by the Colorado Avalanche but couldn’t get any goal support from the rest of the cast.
There was a silver lining to that game though. Niemi played great, and come to think of it; he’s been an excellent backup for the Habs since being claimed from the Panthers. Whether he starts the game or goes in relief for Carey Price, Niemi has given the Montreal Canadiens a chance to win.
His 2-1-1 record isn’t much to celebrate. However, a save percentage of .927 is mighty fine if you ask me. Numbers like that on a team that isn’t the best defensively at times can’t be ignored.
When it comes to the Trade Deadline, Tomas Plekanec is at the top of the list of Habs players to be moved with Max Pacioretty behind him. There hasn’t been a clear sign of whether anyone else is being made available, but Niemi should be as well. I’ve already touched on this in a previous post, but there is value in having a backup goaltender like him in your system.
Additionally, he’s a UFA, and despite whatever the plan is, Marc Bergevin should try to get something for him. Niemi has a more than affordable cap hit of $700,000, playoff experience, and a stabilizing presence in the net. The start to the season was a disaster for him, but I think he’s proven that he’s way past that.
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If the Habs choose to move him, that makes room for Charlie Lindgren to come up and get a few extra games before the end of the season. He’s in the long-term plans, unfortunately for him, Niemi isn’t. It’ll be interesting to see if management chooses to make a move or not. An extra pick, even if it’s conditional wouldn’t hurt to have going into this year’s draft.
Do you think trading Niemi is a good idea? What could be the return? Check out these links to start off your day then let us know in the comments.
Morning Links
Acquiring Justin Faulk would be a coup for Montreal’s defence corps
Justin Faulk hasn’t been having the best season with the Carolina Hurricanes, but he’s proved in the past that he can be an effective option on the blueline. If he is made available, the Habs may want to look into what it would take to acquire him.
Canadiens conundrum — young forwards and old defencemen
There’s a considerable difference between the forward and defence on the Habs which may be another thing management would want to fix moving forward.
Is Alex Galchenyuk in the Devils Trade Deadline Plans?
Alex Galchenyuk was apparently linked to the New Jersey Devils over the offseason, and it’ll be interesting to see if that door is ever opened again (please keep it shut).