SAN JOSE – Goalie Eetu Makiniemi faced some uncertainty about his future after he discovered last year that he needed surgery on his lower back, cutting short what had been a promising first season of North American professional hockey.
Makiniemi, a 2017 fourth-round draft choice by the Carolina Hurricanes, went 11-2-1 with a sparkling .922 save percentage in his first 14 games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in 2021-2022. But his final game of the season came Dec. 17 – a 25-save shutout – as his back injury got to the point where surgery was unavoidable.
“I’m 23 and I’m having back surgery, of course, you are nervous about it,” said Makiniemi, a native of Vantaa, Finland. “It’s a big, big thing when you are young and about to have had that kind of surgery.”
Makiniemi’s surgery went as he hoped, and after a long recovery, has been able to resume his burgeoning career.
Acquired by the Sharks from Carolina on July 13 as part of the Brent Burns trade, Makiniemi, in 12 games with the Barracuda, has a 6-4-1 record and a .918 save percentage that ranks ninth among all qualified AHL goalies.
With James Reimer still injured and unavailable, Makiniemi was recalled by the Sharks on Tuesday and will back up countryman Kaapo Kahkonen on Wednesday when the Sharks play the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center.
“He’s played well (with the Barracuda),” Sharks coach David Quinn said of Makiniemi, “so, a chance to get him up here and see how he adjusts.”
It’s the first time Makiniemi, who replaced Aaron Dell as the Sharks’ backup goalie, has been on an NHL roster.
“I’m really excited to be here and to have this new opportunity,” Makiniemi said. “Everything’s new, so I need to just learn from it.”
The Sharks also received forward Steven Lorentz and a conditional 2023 third-round draft choice in the Burns deal, which helped the Sharks free up some space under the NHL’s salary cap.
Lorentz was signed to a two-year, $2.1 million contract nine days after he was acquired by the Sharks, and has been a mostly steady fourth-line forward with seven points in 27 games. The third-round pick, which will be the lower of the two between Carolina’s own pick and the one the Hurricanes received from Philadelphia in the Tony DeAngelo trade, could also be valuable draft capital for GM Mike Grier.
But Makiniemi might be the most intriguing part of the Burns trade, as the Sharks now have some needed depth at the position after the Barracuda’s two busiest goalies last season, Alexei Melnichuk and Zachary Sawchenko, were jettisoned. Melnichuk was traded and Sawchenko was not re-signed.
Other Sharks goalie prospects under contract include Strauss Mann, signed to a one-year deal in April, and Zach Emond, a 2018 sixth-round draft pick now in the ECHL.
After he got over the initial shock of being traded, Makiniemi and his agent, Murray Koontz, decided that the move could prove beneficial.
“We both agreed that it was going to be a really good opportunity for me to be here,” Makiniemi said.
With just 26 games of AHL experience, Makiniemi’s still getting used to the smaller North American-sized ice and no doubt needs more experience with the Barracuda. Despite some rough patches, he’s been trending in the right direction and has shown more promise than either Melnichuk or Sawchenko.
Still, Makiniemi’s stay in the NHL could be short.
Reimer, on injured reserve with a lower-body ailment, practiced again Wednesday morning and is hoping to be available to play again soon. As of now, a return Friday in Anaheim against the Ducks or one next Tuesday at home against the Arizona Coyotes loom as possibilities if all goes well in Reimer’s recovery.
For now, Makiniemi’s adjusting to the NHL’s faster pace with better shooters and more experienced players, so the next time he’s with the Sharks, he won’t be so wide-eyed.
“I really want to take everything from (this experience) so the next time when I get here, I want to remember how it is,” Makiniemi said. “Take the type of game I’m playing here to the AHL. Just basic things. Nothing getting too crazy.”