Letting Antti Niemi walk was wise

Antti Niemi lost his job -- and it's because he was too good in the playoffs.

The 26-year-old goalie was awarded $2.75 million in arbitration -- too rich for the cash-strapped Chicago Blackhawks. So they let him walk.

The Hawks had every chance to keep Niemi, but they would've had to sacrifice other players -- most notably Niklas Hjalmarsson or Patrick Sharp. And given the traditional importance of goaltending, it seems wrong to pass on Niemi at a very reasonable $2.75 million.

However, a deeper look at the Hawks' situation shows that it was the right move.

For the full analysis of why the Niemi drop makes sense, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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