San Jose Sharks: Goaltenders Take Center Stage

After spending five seasons as a member of the San Jose Sharks, general manager Doug Wilson decided it was time for Antti Niemi to move on from the South Bay, trading Niemi to the Dallas Stars in exchange for a seventh round draft pick at the NHL Draft.

With the Sharks now looking for a new number one goaltender, Wilson set his sights on Martin Jones and he paid a hefty price in acquiring San Jose’s netminder of the future. Wilson sent the Sharks 2016 first-round selection and prospect Sean Kuraly to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Jones, who has settled into the starting role in San Jose.

These two netminders will take center stage tonight as Niemi will return to SAP Center for the first time as his Dallas Stars take on Jones and the Sharks.

As both goaltenders get ready for this one, many will wonder whether San Jose made the right decision to let Niemi go and bringing in Jones. In looking at their numbers this year, they are eerily similar as Jones has made 35 starts, posting a 19-13-2 record with a 2.42 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .914 save percentage.

More from Blades of Teal

Meanwhile, Niemi has made 29 appearances, with 25 starts, with a 16-8-4 record and a 2.41 GAA and an identical .914 save percentage. Niemi splits the net with Kari Lehtonen in Dallas while Jones sees a majority of the starts in San Jose.

With their numbers basically being the same, some might say the Sharks made a mistake in letting Niemi go and trading away a first-round pick. That’s a fair argument as Niemi was very solid during his tenure in San Jose, making 296 starts with a 163-92-35 record and a 2.40 GAA and a .917 save percentage.

However, it was during the postseason where Niemi struggled as his numbers dropped off dramatically from his regular season performance. Unfairly or not, Niemi took the brunt of the criticism for what went wrong in San Jose last season, especially down the stretch when the Sharks fell apart.

He posted his worst season in a teal sweater with a 2.59 GAA and a .914 save percentage, and he was out the door, although much of that probably had to do with the collapse against the Los Angeles Kings in the 2014 playoffs.

While it’s still way too early to tell how this swap has turned out, the Sharks and Stars have received basically the same production between the pipes. For instance, Dallas ranks 25th in the league with a 5v5 save percentage at .920, one spot higher than San Jose at .916. In terms of overall save percentage, the Stars are tied for 19th at .910, while the Sharks sit in 25th at .903.

Jones is still finding his way as a number one netminder in this league as his numbers have dropped off in each month since his red-hot start to the season. He definitely provides a calmer presence than Niemi between the pipes, but it will be interesting to see how his performance stacks up in the second half when the pressure is intensified.

Next: Sharks Seek Fifth Straight Win Against The Stars

All-in-all, there isn’t much difference in terms of production between Jones and Niemi to this point, but the early returns show Jones can live up to the potential many forecasted. While losing the first round pick hurts, especially if San Jose fails to make the playoffs, the younger Jones is showing signs of being able to shoulder the load.

Both will be under the spotlight tonight with Sharks fans getting a look back at their past at one end of the ice, and a glimpse into the future at the other end.

Home / Editorials