The Dallas Stars acquired the rights to pending unrestricted free-agent goaltender Antti Niemi from the San Jose Sharks on Saturday in a trade for the No. 193 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Niemi, 31, was 31-23-7 with a .914 save percentage and 2.59 goals against average in 2014-15 for the Sharks. If the Stars do not sign Niemi, he will become a UFA on July 1. He cost $3.8 million against the salary cap last season and made $4 million in salary, according to War-on-ice.com.
"Antti is a proven goaltender who has played and succeeded at the highest levels," Stars general manager Jim Nill said in a statement. "He's one of the hardest-working goalies out there, and we look forward to working towards an agreement."
Niemi spent five seasons with the Sharks after helping the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2010. He appeared in at least 60 games in his four full seasons with San Jose and played 43 games in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.
The Sharks' depth chart at goaltender has Alex Stalock and Troy Grosenick in the top two spots, but they reportedly have interest in adding a player at the position. Stalock and Grosenick have combined for 39 NHL starts.
Since joining the Sharks, Niemi is second among NHL goaltenders with 296 games played, behind Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens. Third on that list is Kari Lehtonen, who has been the No. 1 goalie for the Stars since 2010-11.
Lehtonen had his worst season in 2014-15 since he was a rookie in 2005-06. He finished with a .903 save percentage and a 2.94 GAA.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.