Turco vs. Niemi

As most hockey fans know, last week the Chicago Blackhawks walked away from the 2.75 million arbitration award given to Antti Niemi and instead signed Marty Turco for at least a million less. It was obviously a move to further help the Blackhawks get underneath the salary cap, and many saw it as a sure sign that Chicago is in for a rough season. And while nobody wants to lose the goalie that just won them a Stanley Cup, I don't think going from Niemi to Turco is really that much of a downgrade.

Yes, Niemi had 7 shutouts in the regular season last year while not even being the starter for most of the season. He absolutely stole some games for Chicago last year, including in the playoffs (though not really in the finals). And he's considerably younger than Turco. However, even though he's extremely quick, Niemi had very poor rebound control for an NHL goalie. He was often bailed out by his quick defenders who were able to clear the puck after he made the initial save. Without that kind of defense though, I don't think Niemi's numbers would have been all that. Meanwhile, Turco has apparently lost his game these past few years. However, his team - the Dallas Stars - have also not had anything close to a defensive corps the past couple years. Ever since losing Zubov, the Stars have really been a mediocre defensive team, which is a large part of why they haven't been able to make the playoffs or play any kind of consistent hockey. So, I really don't think Turco is as bad as his numbers the past two years - which are still okay. And I've also seen playoff games where Turco was a beast and absolutely stole games. The best goaltending I've ever seen in a game was few years back when Turco and Nabokov squared off into triple overtime. It was unbelievable the saves that were being made at both ends.

Also, Turco is a known leader and has a great personality. I think he'll be the type of player fans can easily embrace.

Thus, I don't think fans should be too worried about Turco instead of Niemi. Instead, the worry should be about replacing the likes of Versteeg, Ladd, Sopel, and Eager.