Antti Niemi Signs 4-Year, $15.2 Million Contract Extension With San Jose Sharks

While some will certainly argue that the difference between Niemi and Howard is negligible at best, Niemi has basically propelled the Sharks into the Stanley Cup contention all by himself. Howard, meanwhile, sits behind a stellar team in Detroit that can certainly cover his transgressions.

Niemi proves with this contract that a well-timed stretch of hot play can be enough to earn you a big contract. With the 2011 free agent market set to be competitive for goaltenders, Niemi would have likely earned about $4 million per season from somebody. With his hot play of late, Doug Wilson made sure to lock him up.