NHL

That means Niemi will immediately become an unrestricted free agent. Under normal circumstances, Chicago probably would've accepted the arbitrator's decision, but they have been fighting to get under the cap all summer. Niemi is talented, but his immediate value will be determined by what team he ends up signing with. Teams have been reluctant to overpay for goaltending this summer and he might have some difficulty finding a team that's interested in promising a job as a starting goaltender. It's also worth noting that Chicago almost certainly would've signed him if they thought there was a team seriously interested in acquiring Niemi in a trade. We'll keep you posted.