San Jose Sharks: Antti Niemi to Flyers Trade Rumor Only Makes Matters Worse

As previously mentioned in a more recent article, the San Jose Sharks were not far off from adding goalie Antti Niemi to the list of possible movers on NHL Trade Deadline Day.

Early Monday morning, Niemi was mentioned in a trade that would send him to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for young left winger James Van Riemsdyk.  The Flyers rejected the trade on
the basis that they did not like Niemi's current contract.  The Sharks signed Niemi to a four-year, $15.2 million contract in March 2011 with a $3.8 million cap hit per season.

But what does that say about how the Sharks view their starting goalie right now?

Niemi has been slumping substantially as of late, losing seven of the last nine games he has started.  It has also placed the Sharks in a pivotable position just two points inside the Western Conference playoff picture and two points out of the top spot in the Pacific Division.  San Jose has won the Pacific Division the last four seasons.

Placing Niemi in the trade talks for Van Riemsdyk out of the blue should make Niemi a little disgruntled.  He was recently called out by his head coach Todd McLellan, then replaced in two games this past week by back-up Thomas Greiss.

The actions displayed by the Sharks' front office on Monday made it clear the franchise has faith in Greiss and no faith in Niemi at this point.

The presumed reason for the Niemi trade rumors was that the Sharks are stocked with goalies.  Niemi happens to be the starter now and Greiss would be the next in line, but the franchise also owns young goalies Alex Stalock, Tyson Sexsmith and Harry Sateri, any of which could start for the Sharks within the next 2-5 years.

Niemi's stock happens to be extraordinarily high at this time, if we can look past these last two weeks.  He won a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks and took San Jose to the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons.

Can you blame GM Doug Wilson for throwing his name out there to suitors?

However, it is doubtful Niemi sees it that way.

This last week has sucked the pride and confidence right out of the netminder, whether it was McLellan's public comments or being replaced in net twice in one week, and a trade rumor involving him is the last thing he needed to hear.  Whether Niemi is the man in goal for the Sharks for the remainder of the season or not, this trade deadline should be a turning point to this season.

The Sharks return back home to HP Pavilion against the team Niemi was rumored to be traded to -- the Philadelphia Flyers.

Read More

San Jose Sharks: Emotions Aside, Galiardi and Winnik Make Team Stronger

It was quite an emotional day in San Jose on Monday.  The Sharks were still in the air flying home from one of the worst road stretches in recent memory not knowing what trade deadline deals were ongoing for the team, Rick Nash-related or not.

It turned out that Jamie McGinn was the odd man out, but not in a Nash deal.  McGinn had been traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for left wingers T.J. Galiardi and Daniel Winnik.


The initial reactions were that San Jose would be losing Logan Couture's best friend and a much-improved player this season.  McGinn was also developing as a winger, understanding his role as a part-time offensive player and full-time gritty worksman with the potential to become much more.

However, we all knew how long we had been waiting for some fire to appear under McGinn.  The fans had been waiting for it and the franchise had been waiting for it.  This season, his long-awaited play and potential finally came to fruition, and the front office took full advantage of it.

GM Doug Wilson pulled the rabbit out of the hat on this one.  Last offseason, if the Sharks had made this same trade, we would have wondered what in the world the Avs were thinking and how in the world Wilson pulled it off.  Now, it appears the Avs were the ones reaching for McGinn based on a down year Galiardi and a much-improved year for McGinn.

Those two occurrences led to this trade, and Wilson played the Avs like a fiddle.

McGinn is a restricted free agent at the end of this season, after the Sharks signed him to a one-year contract last offseason in one last desperate attempt to find out what kind of potential he really had.  The Sharks saw that potential in 12 goals, 12 assists and all-around gritty play on the ice this season, and he was getting to where the franchise expected him to be.

But was this three-fourths of the season the best we will ever see McGinn?  Was this season the peak of his career?

It is hard to see McGinn not blossoming into something more, but how much more productive will he really be five years down the road?

San Jose was not convinced of that, and they got the best possible players in return for a decent third line player they would have had to overpay next offseason to re-sign with the team based on his improved stat totals this season.

Make no mistake, Galiardi and Winnik are no slouches, either.

Looking back at the first round of the 2010 Western Conference playoffs between the Avalanche and Sharks, it appeared that Matt Duchene and Galiardi were the two players Colorado could build a pretty strong franchise around.  Galiardi was pesky, very quick and could also add in some offense when called upon.  Eight goals and six assists through 55 games while getting heated with his head coach was enough to stop that discussion.

He was clearly at odds with Avs' head coach Joe Sacco this season and needed a fresh start.  San Jose is a nice place to do that in, and a coach like Todd McLellan can do wonders with a talent like Galiardi.

While Galiardi may be the biggest piece of this deal, at least in the long-term, Winnik can produce now and fills every need McGinn left behind, if not more.

Winnik vastly improves the constantly sour penalty kill, keeping players like Couture and Pavelski off the ice, and he provides grit on the third and fourth lines.  McGinn provided grit and a decent penalty kill, but Winnik does that consistently with a little more production behind it.

Winniking!?!?!

Winnik will make a strong third or fourth line centre, or even winger, and Galiardi will fill McGinn's role on the third line.  The trade has the potential to knock Torrey Mitchell down from the third line to fourth, as well.

So while the initial reaction was to wonder why Wilson would trade such an improved young player, the trade clearly makes this team so much more well-rounded, deeper and productive heading into the playoff push.  McGinn alone was not going to do that.

Wilson knew that McGinn was going to be a restricted free agent at season's end, so getting players relatively the same age with relatively the same projected talent was key in this deal, and debating whether he was worth another experimental contract was not worth it either.

In reality, Galiardi and Winnik's ceilings are so much more higher than McGinn's, and the Avs will find that out in the near future.

For now, Wilson came through in the clutch, despite not landing Nash, who would appear to be a large target of his this offseason.  So once again, another trade deadline has come and gone, and the Sharks are improved heading into their playoff push.

 

Read More

San Jose Sharks Acquire Daniel Winnik and T.J. Galiardi From Colorado Avalanche

The San Jose Sharks have made a move with less than an hour left before the NHL Trade Deadline.  They have acquired left wingers Daniel Winnik and T.J. Galiardi and a 7th round pick from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for winger Jamie McGinn.

McGinn is in the midst of his best season as a professional, earning 12 goals and 12 assists this season.  He was due to become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2012 season.


Winnik has 5 goals and 13 assists on this season and Galiardi has 8 goals and 6 assists this season.  The Sharks also acquired a seventh round pick in the trade.

Read More

Report: Flyers Reject Sharks' Antti Niemi for James Van Riemsdyk Trade

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger is reporting that the San Jose Sharks offereed goalie Antti Niemi in exchange for 22-year-old left winger James Van Riemsdyk early Monday morning.

The report by Dreger stated that the Flyers have rejected the trade, but are still fielding calls for Van Riemsdyk today.

Another report issued later said that Niemi was not the player the Sharks offered, but San Jose may have offered another player on their roster.

Read the rest of the story HERE

Read More

NHL Trade Rumors: Predictions For the San Jose Sharks' Before the Trade Deadline

With so many rumors headed San Jose's way this past week, it is important to understand the logistics of the Sharks' trading situation and what the odds are that GM Doug Wilson comes through in the clutch and solidifies this team for a playoff push.

This weekend can go two ways for the San Jose Sharks.  Wilson can make a change on the top two lines
that will affect this team for years to come, or he can make minor moves and pray his team is good enough to not only make the playoffs, but try and surpass that dreaded Western Conference Final this franchise can never seem to overcome.

When it comes down to it, these last few days before Monday's NHL Trade Deadline could alter how this team fairs for the next several years, especially in the potential Rick Nash deal from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Wilson knows this team and the potential they have, which is why this weekend may hit a lower key than originally perceived.




Rick Nash Will Not Be Traded To the San Jose Sharks

They are simply asking for too much here.

The original reported offer the Blue Jackets made was for Logan Couture and a package of draft picks and minor players to be sent to Columbus for Rick Nash.  The ideal situation was for Nash to come into San Jose and play with his Team Canada running-mate Joe Thornton on the top line.

After that offer was scoffed at, I'm sure, by Wilson, the obvious alternative to Couture was Joe Pavelski.  However, his career year would be dearly missed, as would the growing chemistry between Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Pavelski.

What's left?

Nothing.

The Blue Jackets can find a better deal somewhere else if they are that adamant about trading Nash.  Preferably to the Eastern Conference.




The San Jose Sharks Will Make Smaller Deals

With Nash off the market by Sunday, the Sharks will look for smaller moves with just as much significance to this team.  They already picked up Dominic Moore from the Lightning, and adding a hard-nosed defensive winger to help solidify the third and fourth lines would be the knowledgable thing to do.

Enter Travis Moen or Ales Hemsky, who may not carry the same star power that Nash does, but they are exactly what San Jose needs at this point in the season.

The idea is simple.  The Sharks are beat up with Martin Havlat recovering, Douglas Murray due to return next week and a whole bunch of other minor injuries I cannot keep track of anymore.

The Sharks will get healthy.  It will just take until late-March to accomplish that.  Adding Moen or Hemsky could play-out very nicely once everyone returns.



Torrey Mitchell Will Be Traded

If the Sharks are to make a significant move this weekend before Monday's trade deadline, it will take some good draft picks and a few players to make it work.  Mitchell's name would seem obvious to throw out there since his trade market value would likely be higher than the value he adds to the Sharks right now.

Mitchell has five goals and nine assists this season.

We may have gotten some insight into Wilson's mindset for the trade deadline with his acquisition of Dominic Moore.  Moore will play anywhere from centre on the fourth line to winger on the third line.  Also, expect him to take some stabs at the penalty kill once in awhile.

With Moore, Wilson has a third or fourth line winger potentially to play with, and Mitchell or Jamie McGinn seem to fit that mold.  McGinn has played terrific this season and Mitchell continues to stand pat.

If there is one starter we could see switching teams, it could be Mitchell.

Read More

NFL Free Agency 2012: Mike Wallace Interested In 49ers, Patriots

Current Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and restricted free agent Mike Wallace told Sirius NFL Radio Wednesday that he is interested in joining either the New England Patriots or San Francisco 49ers.


"Most definitely. Those are two playoff-caliber teams. Super Bowl-caliber teams," Wallace said. "I think that the right person or the right piece for those guys could put them over the top. All they need is one more piece ... most definitely, those are Super Bowl-contending teams."


The Steelers are currently over the salary cap and it will be tough to franchise tag him, let alone keep him with the team next season.


Read the rest of this story HERE

Read More

With the San Jose Sharks Struggling, Is Trading Antti Niemi a Possibility?

The San Jose Sharks' nine-game road trip has taken a turn for the worst with the loss to the last place Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday night, and it brings up a strong argument that maybe trading goalie Antti Niemi would benefit this team.


San Jose is stocked with goalies, from Alex Stalock to Tyson Sexsmith.  They even have been forced to all but exclude Antero Niittymaki from the ice this season thanks to great play from back-up Thomas Greiss in relief of Niemi.

It is for that reason that goalies are expendable in San Jose.  The future of this franchise could have a number of net-minders between the pipes in the next few years and they do not include Niemi.

So why not trade him?

Niemi has some good trade value, and the Sharks could package him with either Torrey Mitchell or Jason Demers and get a really good player in return, if GM Doug Wilson chooses to go that route.

Settling with Greiss in net for the remainder of the season would not be half bad anyways, as any goalie can get hot in the playoffs.  Why not Greiss?

Both have about the same winning percentage and save percentage this season, and it seems we may be seeing a whole lot more of Greiss during these last few months of the season.

The truth is trading Niemi has less than a possibility of happening, as Niemi is who historically shoulders the load when things go awry for this team.  It happens to be that the rest of the team is currently shouldering the load for Niemi during an extremely tough stretch of games for him.  He has let up 17 goals in his last five games played.

Greiss is sure to see more time in net for the remainder of this season thanks to this tough stretch of games. But make no doubt about it, Niemi will be between the pipes in the first round of the playoffs -- whatever seed the Sharks end up drawing.

I would not put it past Wilson, though.  If the Blue Jackets want Niemi packaged among others in a deal for Rick Nash, there would be a tough call on the end of Wilson and the Sharks.  Columbus could use a definitive goaltender and Niemi fits that mold.

Judging by how the Sharks' lengthy road trip has gone and the position they are in the Pacific Division, we can expect some rather large changes near the trade deadline.  Whether those changes include restructuring the entire first and second lines is unknown, but no trades or acquisitions will surprise many with the way San Jose has played as of late.

Read More