It's officially a conditioning trip. But make no mistake, San Jose Sharks goalie Antero Niittymaki is headed to Worcester to be showcased. The veteran goalie hasn't played an NHL game this season while recovering from September hip surgery, and he will play Friday and Saturday against Providence.
"He's 100 percent healthy," GM Doug Wilson said Wednesday afternoon. "He's pain-free."
He also gives the Sharks the most depth they've had in goal all season. Antti Niemi and Thomas Greiss have been outstanding for the Sharks. Heading into Thursday's game, Niemi was 20-8-5 with a 2.28 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. Greiss' secondary numbers are even more impressive, with a 2.09 GAA and .926 save percentage.
Making Niittymaki even more expendable is the recovery of prospect Alex Stalock, who has been out nearly a year following a sliced tendon injury in his leg. Wilson said Stalock is back and ready to resume his career.
To read more from Craig on the Sharks, plus get answers to this week's mailbag questions, sign up for Insider today.
- Senior NHL writer for ESPN The Magazine
- Wrote for Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- Wrote for The Sporting News
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Craig Custance
Craig Custance joined ESPN in September 2011 as an NHL reporter for ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Insider and ESPN.com. A graduate of Michigan State University, he lived for nearly a decade in Georgia working for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where he spent time covering the late Atlanta Thrashers. He was the only Thrashers beat writer to get the team to the playoffs.
From 2008-11 he was the national hockey writer for the Sporting News, writing regularly in print and online. A member of the PHWA, he's a proud voter for the major NHL awards and can occasionally defend his selections.
Like hockey, he left Atlanta to return north where he currently lives in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, with his wife Cassie and their three kids.
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