Antti Niemi files for arbitration

[Majsheppard 203]

Yeah but you point to I won a cup and you are going to get paid, that is critera according to those rules. Too bad they cannot point to other players. A contract in Halaks ballpark would ruin that team.

Even though Huet seems to be on his way out due to the KHL loophole.

..

[jeff48109 474]

Yeah but you point to I won a cup and you are going to get paid, that is critera according to those rules. Too bad they cannot point to other players. A contract in Halaks ballpark would ruin that team.

Even though Huet seems to be on his way out due to the KHL loophole.

..

i think they can use Halak's contract as a comparable contract, since Halak signed his as a restricted free agent

[skyphoenix 153]

Didn't we all see Chicago's problems coming as early as this time last year? They really didn't think things through.

Edited July 6, 2010 by skyphoenix

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

We did, and no they did not.

[Grim 5]

I wonder if Halak's recent deal will affect Niemi's arbitration...

[Tommy_Like_Wingy 25]

Didn't we all see Chicago's problems coming as early as this time last year? They really didn't think things through.

What should they have done differently last year? Nothing much could've been done last summer except to fire the guy responsible for screwing up their QOs and signing Campbell and Huet to those hilarious contracts...which they did. So far Bowman has pretty much done his job of keeping their core together. Everybody else is expendable apparently.

Edited July 6, 2010 by Tommy_Like_Wingy

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Was it Bowman who signed Huet and Campbell?

[Original-Six 254]

Was it Bowman who signed Huet and Campbell?

no....

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

no....

okay....

We can thank Dale Tallon for that one.

[Original-Six 254]

okay....

We can thank Dale Tallon for that one.

yes Silly Mr Tallon

The more i see this off-season unfold for the Hawks the more i come to realize that their Cup winning team was built on dumb luck. I find it hard to believe a GM that incompetent actually knew what he was doing.

Edited July 6, 2010 by Original-Six

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

yes Silly Mr Tallon

The more i see this off-season unfold for the Hawks the more i come to realize that their Cup winning team was built on dumb luck. I find it hard to believe a GM that incompetent actually knew what he was doing.

We should throw a party for Tallon.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Who is the Biggest Winner With Jaroslav Halak's New Contract? Antti Niemi.

Earlier today, new St. Louis Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak, formerly of the Montreal Canadiens, signed a four-year contract with the Blues worth $15 million. While the Blues are likely ecstatic they got a budding young superstar locked up for a cap hit of $3.75 million a year, there's another team out there that's probably terrified by Halak's deal: The Chicago Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks have to be scared because they've got a restricted free agent goaltender of their own in Antti Niemi. The Blackhawks also have some salary cap issues of their own to work with and around as well. In other words, a semi-reasonable deal for Jaroslav Halak becomes Antti Niemi's "Exhibit A" to use in a potential arbitration hearing with the Hawks. Ken Campbell of The Hockey News examines the situation a little bit himself.

That doesn't necessarily mean Niemi will get a contract worth $3.75 per season in arbitration. Niemi's award would be only a one- or two-year award and it's difficult to compare that to a four-year deal, particularly since one of those seasons Halak would have been an unrestricted free agent. Generally speaking, more of a premium is put on longer contracts and every year a team can avoid unrestricted free agency comes at a cost.

The fun part of this analysis here is that Niemi can become an unrestricted free agent after next season since he'll be 27. If the Blackhawks are looking to keep Niemi on the long term, they'll have to negotiate that out with him themselves and deal with Halak's numbers. If they go to arbitration, Niemi's case is made for him already with Halak setting the precedent. Niemi can then say something along the lines of, "Sure, Halak's season and post season were nice and all but he still got pulled three times and finished 9-9. I won the Stanley Cup. Pay me."

Only problem there is that Niemi wasn't exactly playing the part of Patrick Roy on his way to helping the Blackhawks win the Cup, he looked a bit more like Grant Fuhr in that he wasn't exactly stellar in goal but he didn't cost his team any series and certainly wasn't quite as poor as Michael Leighton was in the finals.

[Hockey13Playa 240]

Oh man Chicago is screwed

You know what would be hilarious? Missing the playoffs this year. After winning the cup and all that trash talk coming from all those bandwagon fans! I doubt they'll sink that low, but jus' sayin'.

Anyways that really sucks for Stan Bowman, but man what an idiot Tallon was. They are royaly f*cked!

[edicius 3,269]

Oh man Chicago is screwed

You know what would be hilarious? Missing the playoffs this year. After winning the cup and all that trash talk coming from all those bandwagon fans! I doubt they'll sink that low, but jus' sayin'.

Hey, it happened to New Jersey in 1996, so it's not out of the realm of possibility.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Hey, it happened to New Jersey in 1996, so it's not out of the realm of possibility.

Don't forget the 97 Marlins as well. Winning the World Series and then shipping everyone out afterwards.

[Original-Six 254]

Hey, it happened to New Jersey in 1996, so it's not out of the realm of possibility.

Or Carolina in 2007.

[miller76 463]

this is going to be great when Chicago is forced to pay Niemi a 4-5 million dollar deal per year over 5 years. He is going to use Tim Thomas, Hiller, Huet, and Luongo as examples of his worth!

I shook Niemi's hand the other day, and look at his cute tattoo:

[Tommy_Like_Wingy 25]

this is going to be great when Chicago is forced to pay Niemi a 4-5 million dollar deal per year over 5 years. He is going to use Tim Thomas, Hiller, Huet, and Luongo as examples of his worth!

I shook Niemi's hand the other day, and look at his cute tattoo:

They won't be forced to do anything. If he wants too much then they'll let him walk and he'll try the open market. I think the guy will probably get a rude awakening though. I mean we all saw what a pitiful finals performance he had and he's kidding himself if he thinks he wasn't a product of the team in front of him. The FA goalie situation is already flooded with proven goalies and over at HF they were talking about how the guy has played like half a season. If he thinks he's getting Halak money he's dreaming.

[miller76 463]

They won't be forced to do anything. If he wants too much then they'll let him walk and he'll try the open market. I think the guy will probably get a rude awakening though. I mean we all saw what a pitiful finals performance he had and he's kidding himself if he thinks he wasn't a product of the team in front of him. The FA goalie situation is already flooded with proven goalies and over at HF they were talking about how the guy has played like half a season. If he thinks he's getting Halak money he's dreaming.

I was really starting to listen to what you were saying, then you mentioned HF. Validity gone!

[dropkickshanahans 463]

Or Carolina in 2007.

Or Pittsburgh Steelers last year. I think they missed the playoffs after winning in 05 too.

[Tommy_Like_Wingy 25]

I was really starting to listen to what you were saying, then you mentioned HF. Validity gone!

HF was just who mentioned he only played half a season. I checked NHL.com and they have him listed at 39 regular season games. Validity returned!

[Original-Six 254]

this is going to be great when Chicago is forced to pay Niemi a 4-5 million dollar deal per year over 5 years. He is going to use Tim Thomas, Hiller, Huet, and Luongo as examples of his worth!

He cant use FA signings as examples. Only RFA contracts like Halak.

Edited July 8, 2010 by Original-Six

[miller76 463]

He cant use FA signings as examples. Only RFA contracts like Halak.

you sure? The guys on xm this morning were all over this and talking about those guys as great examples.

HF was just who mentioned he only played half a season. I checked NHL.com and they have him listed at 39 regular season games. Validity returned!

that may be true and all. But I think Chicago is in a s***ty situation here. They are either s*** out of luck with him, or they are going to have to find a way to pay him. And it's not going to be any 2 million a year crap.

[Original-Six 254]

you sure? The guys on xm this morning were all over this and talking about those guys as great examples.

According to this he cant.

NHL Salary Arbitration Explained

#

Evidence that is not admissible:

# The salary and performance of a "comparable" player who signed a contract as an unrestricted free agent.

# Testimonials, video and media reports.

# The financial state of the team.

# The salary cap and the state of the team's payroll.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

I'm sure he'll still attempt to bring it up somehow.