The Dallas Stars acquired the services of the Finnish netminder on a trade that sent the 193th pick in the recent 2015 NHL Draft to the San Jose Sharks. Niemi was set to become a free agent on July 1st but he signed a three-year deal with his new team so he won't hit the open market. Per team's policy the terms of the deal were not disclosed but the contract is reportedly worth around 4.5 million per year.

Dallas' GM Jim Nill was thrived when the trade was made and he wasted to no time to get the deal done.

"We acquired Antti's rights with the expectation to get him signed and we're thrilled to have come to an agreement this quickly," Nill told the Stars website. "This gives us two upper-echelon goaltenders and the quality of depth at that position will provide us a great chance to win on a nightly basis."

Niemi spent five seasons with the Sharks after helping the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2010. He appeared in at least 60 games in his four full seasons with San Jose and played 43 games in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. His arrival to Dallas should boost the team's depth between the posts and he should give Lehtonen a decent run for the top spot at the goaltender's depth chart since he's a proven player that has had some success at the NHL level.

Lehtonen had his worst season in 2014-15 since he was a rookie in 2005-06. He finished with a .903 save percentage and a 2.94 GAA. Niemi, on the other hand, is coming off a couple of down years after being a finalist for the Vezina Trophy in the 2012-13 season. The 31-year-old posted a 31-23-7 record with a .914 save percentage and 2.59 goals against average in 2014-15 for the Sharks. His numbers are slightly better when compared to Lehtonen ones and both should form a quality tandem for a team that needs all kinds of help on the defensive side of the puck.

Niemi will certainly be a solid addition to the Stars' roster and he's a step in the right direction to improve the roster. He's certainly talented enough to become the first choice in a Dallas team that is expected to battle for a postseason berth in the Western Conference.