Some of the more shocking news during this free agency period was what happened to the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks. I mentioned before that they had already let go about a half a dozen of their players due to the salary cap, one of the more shocking cases was goaltender Antti Niemi (pictured above) - a rookie who took the spotlight and catapulted the Hawks to the top of the league. Before he won the cup, he made less than $ 1million but after the win, he felt that he deserved a raise. With no solution in sight, he and Chicago went into arbitration and the NHL Commission awarded Niemi a contract of $2.750 million, an offer that Chicago refused thus releasing Niemi into the free agency pool. Many people criticized Doug Wilson for moving so quickly on Antero Niittymaki, a goalie who has had moments of greatness but has yet to play in more than 40 games a season. After all if Doug Wilson had waited, he could have snagged a proven, cup winning goalie in Niemi. Well, fear not Shark fans, somehow Doug Wilson did just that - Antti Niemi is the newest member of the San Jose Sharks. I was totally floored by the news, having to read the text message a few times before I realized what it was saying. After all, we had a goalie in Niittymaki and many assumed that the position of goalie was all wrapped up. But Wilson saw a great opportunity and somehow managed to find the cap space to offer Niemi a one-year contract. With the tandem of Niemi and Niittymaki, the two natives of Finland have just raised the Sharks chances at a strong shot for the Stanley Cup.In other news, the Young Prospects tournament in Vancouver started yesterday (09.12.10) with the rookie Sharks taking on the rookies from the Anaheim Ducks. Always an intense rivalry, even in exhibition games, it was the first hockey game I have seen since the Sharks were booted out of the Western Conference Finals and boy was it a welcomed sight. For many players, the tournament is an opportunity to show off their skills and gain the attention of the Sharks staff. If all goes well, they may be invited to the Sharks training camp and even called up to play in the NHL. Some of the names on the ice were familiar: Benn Ferriero, Nick Petrecki, Brandon Mashinter, John McCarthy, Marek Viedensky, and Taylor Doherty have all been seen in teal before but have yet to stay up in the NHL for very long. It was a nice preview of the talent in the Sharks system and a preview of who might actually make it to San Jose. Overall the game was fast and exciting with very strong physical play being a constant theme. The Sharks prospects were able to jump to an early lead in the first and then added three more goals in the second. They kept a 4-0 lead over the Ducks prospects until two 5-3 opportunities for the Ducks broke J. P. Anderson's shut-out bid. The Sharks went on to win 4-1 in their first game of the tournament. An interesting note about the game, J. P. Anderson was invited to camp on a try-out basis, he is actually not a part of the Sharks organization. He is also a right-handed catcher, something exceedingly rare for a goalie. He had great poise on the ice and made all of his saves look easy. Even during a few breakaways, Anderson held his ground well which was impressive considering that he is only 18 years old. With such a great showing, it will be interesting to see if the sharks decide to offer him some sort of deal or not but from what I've seen of him, he definitely deserves the opportunity.
Last but not least is the unresolved issue of the San Jose Sharks' Captain. With the retirement of Blake, once again the position is vacant and many names have been flying around as to who is going to wear the "C". Danny Boyle is a name that has commonly come up for the position. As a strong leader both on and off the ice, I can understand why he is definitely a front runner. Not only that, he has won a Stanley Cup and has the experience needed for the position. Others that have been mentioned are Joe Pavelski, Ryane Clowe, and Patrick Marleau (who had been the captain prior to Blake taking over). While I can see Boyle wearing the "C", for me I think the position should go to Joe Thornton. It isn't a surprise that after coming from Boston, Jumbo Joe has become the face of the San Jose Sharks. He is a very vocal presence in the media, he is very active with the organization, and he is always leading by example. When Joe plays well, the team plays well. If Joe plays poorly, the team responds poorly as well and that was pretty evident in the Western Conference Finals. For me, Joe has already been the Captain of the San Jose Sharks for a long time now but has yet to really be held accountable for the leadership position. Giving him the "C" will not only send a clear message that he is the one to follow, but will also send a message to Jumbo Joe that he has to step up when the team needs him. Of course it doesn't mean that the other players are off the hook, there are many leaders on a team and the "C" and "A" isn't a requirement to be one. But even so, the position of Captain for the Sharks is an important one that needs to be filled by the right person.
