Niemi was placed on waivers by the Panthers on Monday, Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada reports.

EDGE Analysis

Niemi appeared in just two games during his three-week stint with Florida, giving up five goals and registering a .853 save percentage. Considering he is sporting a 6.74 GAA and 0-4-0 record for the year, it's hard to imagine a team will want to snag the Finn off the waiver wire, which would land him with AHL Springfield. The netminder could probably use some time in the minors to rediscover his game and earn back some confidence.

Niemi stopped 18 of 21 shots in relief of James Reimer on Thursday against the Blue Jackets.

EDGE Analysis

Reimer has been pulled in back-to-back outings, but Neimi hasn't impressed in relief duty. The 31-year-old has give up five goals on 39 shots since arriving in Florida and will likely be sent to the AHL once Roberto Luongo (thumb) returns. Niemi's .822 save percentage split between Pittsburgh and Florida this season is evidence enough that he should avoided in most fantasy leagues.

Niemi made his Panthers debut Monday, stopping 16 of 18 shots in relief on the way to an 8-5 home loss to the Lightning.

EDGE Analysis

The Bolts tagged starter James Reimer for five goals on 19 shots before Niemi entered the game and didn't fare much better. Indeed, it's going to extremely difficult to trust a guy who couldn't hold down a backup role with the two-time defending champion Penguins, but then again, Niemi could once again find himself out of a job when Roberto Luongo (thumb) returns to action.

Niemi was snagged off the waiver wire by the Panthers on Tuesday, Bob McKenzie of TSN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Niemi's time with Pittsburgh is officially over after three appearances in which he logged a horrendous 7.50 GAA and .797 save percentage. The 34-year-old narrowly avoids his first stint in the minors since 2008-09 and will instead head to Florida. The Panthers bringing in another netminder doesn't bode well for the long-term outlook for Roberto Luongo (thumb) who was injured, coincidentally, in a game against the Penguins.

Niemi was designated for waivers by Pittsburgh on Monday, Bob McKenzie of TSN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Describing Niemi's performance as abysmal to start the season might still be an understatement considering he is 0-3-0 with a 7.50 GAA and .797 save percentage. The team did not provide a clear indication of what the next step would be if the 34-year-old clears waivers, but one has to imagine his time as the backup is over. Netminders Casey DeSmith and Tristan Jarry are both available with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and would be hard pressed to perform worse than Niemi.

Niemi registered 25 saves in a 7-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

The smell from his game in Pittsburgh is no different than the odor from Dallas. Niemi's game has been on a serious slide over the last couple years. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before he finds himself out of a job.

Niemi will start between the pipes in Saturdy's road game against the Lightning, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

EDGE Analysis

Niemi has been dreadful this season, posting an 0-2-0 record while registering an atrocious 7.93 GAA and .809 save percentage in two appearances. He'll hope to right the ship Saturday in a tough road matchup with a high-powered Tampa Bay offense that's averaging 3.63 goals per game this season, fourth in the NHL.

Niemi will start in goal on the road against the Lightning on Thursday, Sam Werner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Finnish netminder was awful in his Penguins debut last Thursday, as he surrendered four goals on 13 shots before getting yanked from the cage less than 10 minutes into an eventual 10-1 loss to the Blackhawks. Niemi is firmly entrenched as the No. 2 backup behind Matt Murray, but he'll face yet another stiff test -- this time against a Lightning squad that features Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov, who are some of the best forwards in the league joining underrated playmaker Vladislav Namestnikov on that top line and first power-play unit.

Niemi allowed four goals on 13 shots before getting the hook in Thursday's 10-1 loss to the Blackhawks.

EDGE Analysis

Niemi's Pittsburgh debut didn't last long, as one of his three former teams chased him just 9:16 in with four tallies in the span of 2:55. The Finnish veteran was supposed to spell starter Matt Murray in the second leg of a season-opening back-to-back set after Murray struggled in the opener, but didn't end up giving him much of a break. Murray didn't fare any better after coming in for Niemi, allowing six goals on 31 shots.

Niemi will start between the pipes in Thursday's road matchup with the Blackhawks.

EDGE Analysis

The Penguins' new backup netminder will hope to make a good first impression by defeating his former team on the road Thursday evening. However, the chances of that happening remain somewhat bleak, as Niemi struggled mightily last season, compiling a 12-12-4 record while registering an ugly 3.30 GAA and .892 save percentage in 37 appearances with the Stars.