Antti Niemi‘s tenure with the Dallas Stars has officially come to a close.
With three NHL goalies currently on the roster, the Stars had $15.3 million committed to the position for next season. On Monday, the team took steps to reduce that cost, placing Niemi on waivers for the purpose of a buyout.
On Tuesday, Niemi cleared waivers and was officially bought out by the Stars.
Niemi had one year left on a contract paying $4.5 million against the cap. The buyout cost the Stars two-thirds of the remaining value of the contract spread out over twice the remaining length, meaning Dallas will be charged $1.5 million in cap space over the next two seasons for the move.
Niemi came to Dallas in 2015 to form a tandem with Kari Lehtonen, but the duo never found consistency. Neither goalie posted a save percentage better than .906 in the past two years and Niemi sunk to .892 in 2016-17. As the Stars slipped well out of playoff contention this past season, the goaltending situation became untenable and forced GM Jim Nill into the market, where he acquired and then signed Ben Bishop to a six-year deal worth $4.9 million against the cap.
Niemi previously played with the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks, winning a Stanley Cup with the former in 2010.
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