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Kari Lehtonen could be forced to settle into the No. 2 goaltending role for the Stars next season following Monday's signing of Antti Niemi, Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Lehtonen could be forced to settle into the No. 2 goaltending role for the Stars next season following Monday's signing of Antti Niemi, Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Analysis:

On the surface, Niemi's acquisition at the trade deadline and his subsequent contract extension seems baffling, given that the Stars are paying Lehtonen an average annual salary of $5.9 million. Both Niemi and Lehtonen regressed noticeably in 2014-15, but with both goalies having to shoulder enormous workloads the last two seasons, the Stars' brain trust is hopeful that a tandem approach in the net may allow both Niemi and Lehtonen to rebound. Lehtonen is sure to see a steep reduction in the 65 appearances he made last season, but the more frequent rest may help him improve on last season's GAA (2.94) and save percentage (.903), both of which were among his career worsts.

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