It's been an interesting year for Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi, as far as contract negotiations are concerned.
After winning the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks, the 27-year-old Finland native was offered just a $2 million per year deal from Chicago, less than the $2.75 million awarded through arbitration.
Niemi walked, only to ultimately agree to a one-year, $2 million deal with the Sharks.
Now, after initially struggling to replace Evgeni Nabokov in net, Niemi and the Sharks have heated up, and the team has now given the goaltender a four-year, $3.8 million per year extension, according to ESPN.
"We wanted Antti to remain a San Jose Shark and he wanted to be here," said Wilson. "Once he got through his expected integration period with our club, Antti's play has been outstanding and, just as important, he has consistently been a great teammate. And like many of his teammates over this past year, he worked with us on a contract that fits within our team structure and enables us to keep our group intact," said Sharks GM Doug Wilson.
