I talked to a source today that indicated former Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi is close to making a decision on where he will play this upcoming season. It should happen over the next 48 hours.
According to this source, Niemi has offers from multiple teams. My guess is he’s weighing a short-term deal with a contender -- think San Jose -- rather than a deal with more security for a team that may not be ready to win.
Niemi became an unrestricted free agent after the Hawks turned down an arbitrator’s decision to pay him $2.75 million for the 2010-2011 season. If Niemi signs a one-year deal, he’ll become an unrestricted free-agent again next offseason.