On the second day of the 2015 NHL Draft weekend, the Dallas Stars traded their seventh-round pick to the San Jose Sharks for the negotiating rights to impending unrestricted free agent goaltender Antti Niemi. The Sharks did not plan to resign the veteran Finn, who can become a UFA on July 1st.
It seems likely that Dallas will get Niemi, who won a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks before joining San Jose, signed before he hits free agency. It will not be a cheap investment, however.
Niemi is accustomed to being a starting goalie, not a backup, and he carried a $4 million cap hit this season. Although Niemi had a down season and the Sharks missed the playoffs, he will still be a pricey player. Assuming the Stars get the deal done, they figure to have a split-time 1A and 1B goaltending arrangement between Kari Lehtonen and Niemi heading into next season.
With their remaining four picks in the 2015 NHL Draft, the Stars selected a pair of Finns and a pair of American players. Here are thumbnail sketches of the players that completed a Dallas draft crop headed by first-round pick Denis Guryanov:
2nd round (49th overall): Roope Hintz, LW/RW, Ilves Tampere (Liiga), 6-2, 185 lbs. Born: November 17, 1996 in Tampere, Finland (age 18). Rankings: 11th on Central Scouting European list, 52nd overall by ISS, 56th overall by THN, 58th overall by Bob McKenzie/TSN, 76th overall by Craig Button, 110th overall by McKeen's.
Scouting report: A regular for Ilves in Finland's top league, Hintz was also a member of Finland's Under-20 national team who played in the 2014-15 World Junior Championships (two assists in five games). He has good size, and boasts the versatility to play any forward position and to kill penalties as well as taking on a more offense-oriented role. A lack of consistency is the biggest knock on the player. A scout quoted in The Hockey News said that he still needs greater agility.
4th round (103rd overall):Chris Martenet, D, London Knights (OHL), 6-7, 198 lbs. Born: September 26, 1996 in Waukesha, WI (age 18). Rankings: 81st on Central Scouting North American list, 99th overall by ISS, non-top 120 honorable mention by McKeen's.
Scouting report: The Stars hope that the towering defenseman will be a late-bloomer as he continues to fill out his huge frame. Martenet had a strong second half of the OHL season for London. He still has room to learn how to better use his size, according to scouts. He is improving with the puck as he gains confidence and boasts a heavy shot but could improve his release.
5th round (133rd overall):Joseph Cecconi, D, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL), 6-2, 205 lbs. Born: May 23, 1997 in Youngstown, NY (age 18). Rankings: 88th on Central Scouting North American list, 84th overall by ISS, 91st overall by THN, non-top 120 honorable mention by McKeen's.
Scouting report: Size and a willingness to play a physical game are Cecconi's best attributes but he also has an offensive element to his game. Boasts a heavy righthanded shots. The players needs to work on making faster decisions to take the next step in his development toward being a candidate for pro hockey. Committed to the University of Michigan, where he will play his freshman season in 2015-16. He is likely to need three or all four years of college seasoning but has good tools.
6th round (103rd overall):Markus Ruusu, G, JYP Jyvà¤skylठJ18/J20 (Finnish Jr. B/A Leagues), 6-2, 176 lbs. Born: August 23, 1997 in Tampere, Finland (age 17). Rankings: None
Scouting report: Ruusu split the 2014-15 season between the under-18 (34 games) and under-20 (12 games) levels in Finland. He has no international experience up to this point above the under-17 level, and played just one national team game for the under-17 group. Had a .918 save percentage in his 12 outings with JYP's under-20 team last season.