Niemi will draw into the lineup Saturday as the starting backstop against the host Avalanche, Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News reports.

EDGE Analysis

Niemi was effective in Thursday's season-opening win, stopping 33 of 35 shots fired by the Ducks. A former Stanley Cup Trophy winner (Blackhawks, 2010), Niemi has proven capable of keeping his team in games, but be advised that he posted a 3.03 against other teams in the Central Division, which was worse than his cumulative rate against any other grouping of teams within the league.