Niemi's stellar play restoring his value as free agency looms
Who could have seen this coming?
After a disastrous run with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and a not-much-better showing as part of the Florida Panthers, Antti Niemi has seemingly found his game since joining the Montreal Canadiens.
The veteran 'tender, and former Stanley Cup winner, has turned back the clock since arriving in Montreal, where he's posted five wins and a stellar .933 save rate through 14 appearances.
Even more impressive is that Niemi is putting together such a performance on a club that finds itself in the bottom-third of the standings.
| Team | Games | Record | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penguins | 3 | 0-3-0 | .797 | 7.49 |
| Panthers | 2 | 0-1-0 | .872 | 5.11 |
| Canadiens | 14 | 5-2-4 | .933 | 2.30 |
Furthering his comeback story, Niemi's latest victory came Tuesday as he turned aside 36 shots to guide the Canadiens to a 4-2 win over his former club, the Dallas Stars, the same team that tossed him aside last summer. Call it a night of redemption.
Only a few months ago, all signs pointed to Niemi's NHL career being on borrowed time. But given his bounce-back with the Canadiens, that may no longer be the case, as the pending unrestricted free agent will be an intriguing option this summer for teams in search of a reliable second-stringer.
No doubt Niemi will stand out from the crowd in free agency given the crop offers realistic backup options like Jonathan Bernier, Eddie Lack, and Chad Johnson. It's the sort of competition that will have teams once again betting on Niemi when the calendar turns to July.