3 questions that need to be asked after Penguins waive Niemi

Antti Niemi's tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins could very well be over, but his potential departure raises questions for more than one NHL team.

The veteran goaltender was placed on waivers Monday, possibly putting an end to a Penguins' experiment that went awry in a hurry.

Here are three burning questions that have to be asked following Pittsburgh's decision to expose Niemi to the other 30 NHL clubs.

Is he done?

It certainly looks that way.

The Penguins are apparently cutting bait with their backup netminder - at least at the NHL level - after less than three full games, but he was indisputably terrible in those three outings.

Niemi allowed 16 goals in only 129 minutes, including all seven in a 7-1 loss Saturday to the Tampa Bay Lightning, all five in a 5-4 loss Oct. 12 to the Lightning, and four goals on 13 shots in a 10-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on the second night of the season.

He's 34 years old, and clearly, his best days are in the rearview mirror.

Niemi's last respectable campaign came in 2014-15 with the San Jose Sharks, when he was still a capable starter, but he hasn't proven worthy of shouldering a heavy workload, let alone serving as an NHL backup, since then.

He struggled in a platoon role over the last couple of seasons with the Dallas Stars before joining the Penguins on a one-year, $700,000 deal on July 1.

There are several teams that could use goaltending depth, but he might not be worth the risk.

Should the Golden Knights claim him?

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

One of those clubs is the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, who've had some bad luck with goalie injuries in the early going.

Marc-Andre Fleury has been dealing with concussion symptoms and Malcolm Subban is out for about a month with an injury of his own, thrusting rookie Oscar Dansk into the starting role and AHL/ECHL journeyman Maxim Lagace into the backup position.

That's hardly ideal, and Golden Knights general manager George McPhee has to ask himself if it makes more sense to bring in a washed up but seasoned Niemi or let his inexperienced duo attempt to hold down the fort until Fleury and Subban are ready to return.

It wouldn't be surprising if McPhee simply stayed the course, because while both injuries are concerning, neither appears to be season-ending. Still, is Niemi more of a solution or a problem to have on the roster?

What is Pittsburgh's backup plan?

Meanwhile, the Penguins appear interested in moving on from the Niemi gamble, but where do they go from here?

For now, they've called up Casey DeSmith, an undrafted 26-year-old. DeSmith was outperforming Tristan Jarry early on in the AHL, but the latter goalie is considered the better long-term NHL prospect.

Jarry, a Penguins second-round pick in 2013, posted a .925 save percentage in 45 AHL games last season. He's allowed 12 goals in three games this fall, but Pittsburgh may eventually feel he's ready for the NHL backup role if DeSmith doesn't pan out.

So why does this matter?

Well, Matt Murray is off to a bit of a rocky start, and while the No. 1's numbers will almost certainly improve, he's going to need some nights off here and there.

Murray has been forced to appear in seven of the Penguins' first nine games, and his performance hasn't been at its typically stellar level. That further illustrates the Penguins' need for a reliable second-stringer.

Whatever they decide to do in the long term, the Penguins are getting younger in the interim. Given Niemi's disastrous performance, it's hard to blame them.

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