Fantasy goalie dilemma: Niemi vs. Stalock

The clock is ticking for San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi, and Alex Stalock appears ready to pounce on any opportunity that comes his way.

Niemi, who turns 31 next week, is entering a contract year off a second consecutive Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. But unlike the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when Niemi put his team in position to take the series (two goals or fewer allowed in six of seven games), the Sharks' latest exit came in the worst fashion imaginable.

The Sharks took a 3-0 series lead against the Kings but failed to close the deal with four straight losses. Los Angeles became the fourth team in NHL history to win a series when facing such a deficit and went on to hoist the Stanley Cup.

Make no mistake, factors such as defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic's injury and the Kings' ability to dictate puck possession and lock down defensively certainly determined the result of the series. That said, much of the blame could be pinned on Niemi.

The veteran looked out of sorts once the momentum shifted in Game 4. He had five games with three-plus goals allowed, finishing with the worst goals-against average (3.74) and save percentage (.884) among goalies with at least six playoff appearances.

San Jose was in such dire straits entering Game 6 that coach Todd McLellan started Stalock at Staples Center, signaling a loss of faith in Niemi. After Stalock allowed four goals (three in the third period) in defeat, the Sharks turned back to Niemi for Game 7.

At that point, San Jose was on thin ice in front of its home crowd in an elimination setting. The Sharks scored first but surrendered five consecutive goals and their season came to a devastating end.

This offseason has not seen any earth-shattering personnel changes, but it's easy to sense the urgency surrounding the franchise. Sharks brass has moved Brent Burns back to defense, allowed Dan Boyle and Marty Havlat to leave via free agency, preached of a rebuild, and stripped Joe Thornton of his captaincy (at least for now).

So what does this all mean for Niemi and Stalock from a fantasy standpoint?

There's a solid chance Niemi bounces back this season, given he has won 97 games over the past three seasons, which ranks second in the NHL over that span behind the Pittsburgh Penguins' Marc-Andre Fleury (104). Despite the worst postseason of his career, Niemi had a regular-season GAA (2.39) and save percentage (.913) nearly in line with his career averages (2.35, .916).

Speaking of Fleury, fantasy owners were not fond of the goalie's value entering last season after another forgettable playoff showing. But look how quickly he turned things around; Fleury finished among the top-five fantasy goalies in Yahoo leagues last season and followed it up with his best statistical postseason since 2008. Sometimes having a short memory as a fantasy owner when it comes to how postseason performance correlates to the following regular season can be a blessing.

Antti Niemi

Goalie - SJS

RECORD: 39-17-7
GAA: 2.39 | SVP: 0.913

Niemi has 34-plus wins in each of his three full seasons in San Jose along with a strong 2012-13 shortened season in terms of wins (24, T-1st), GAA (2.16, 11th) and save percentage (.924, 7th), but he faces a very short leash, hurting his keeper-league value. He'll have to navigate through the season knowing the Sharks will not hesitate to shift gears in the final year of his contract with Stalock extended through 2015-16.

It's also clear how Niemi fares in the 2015 playoffs (assuming San Jose qualifies for the 11th straight season) will seal his fate. Just what Niemi needs: more pressure.

In Niemi's defense, a depleted blue line and lack of production from the offensive stars didn't provide much support when adversity struck. He also altered his workload leading up to the 2014 Sochi Olympics, only to not see any action for Finland behind Tuukka Rask and Kari Lehtonen.

Alex Stalock

Goalie - SJS

RECORD: 12-5-2
GAA: 1.87 | SVP: 0.932

For those reasons, it's imperative for fantasy owners of Niemi to handcuff Stalock as a late-round pick (16th round or later) as a safety net. If Stalock is drafted on his own, the 27-year-old Minnesota native should be valued as a sleeper in all formats, especially given the in-season indications of a changing of the guard last season.

The Sharks have two fantasy-relevant goalies entering the season. Niemi can reaffirm his top-10 standing if he can handle the heat, while Stalock lurks in the waters as a potential late steal. This has a chance to be a dramatic season in San Jose, but investing in each goalie could provide the wins needed to reel in that fantasy title, even if San Jose falls short of winning the Cup again.

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