Looking at four NHL goaltenders who debuted for new teams

by Chelena Goldman

With most of the hype of the NHL season openers revolving around the debuts of Conor McDavid and Jack Eichel, it is easy to forget about some of the other tweaks and additions that have been made to the league's teams during the offseason.

Most notably: the change in the goaltending landscape.

This offseason saw a carousel of netminders finding new homes and sporting new sweaters. With the first games of the season now in review, we can start to speculate how a few of them might fair throughout the 2015-2016 campaign in their new digs.

No, one opening night performance doesn't determine how a goaltender is going to perform for the rest of the season. But it's still worth a look.

Antti Niemi, Dallas Stars
-Last season: 31-23-7 with a .914 save percentage and 2.59 goals against average for the San Jose Sharks

-Stars Debut: 37 saves in 3-0 shutout of the Pittsburgh Penguins

-15-16 Forecast: Niemi also opened up last season with a shutout--a 4-0 marvel against the LA Kings. But he then went on to have an inconsistent season for San Jose. Part of that was due to the Sharks' lack of depth on defense, but part was on Niemi himself. As long as Dallas's defense stays healthy Niemi should have a bit more cushion against tough teams early in the Stars schedule,  like when they travel to Tampa to play the Lightning on the 15th.

Martin Jones, San Jose Sharks
-Last season: 4-5-2 with a .950 save percentage and 1.00 goals against average as backup for Jonathan Quick for the LA Kings.

-Sharks Debut: 19 saves in 5-1 win over the LA Kings

-15-16 Forecast: Jones is primed to have a solid year in his first season as a starter. Upon letting the Kings' first shot on goal float past him in Wednesday's opener, Jones buckled down and stymied LA's offense. He has shown that he does well under pressure, which will come in handy when the Sharks take an early road trip to the east coast to face powerhouses Washington Capitals and New York Rangers.

Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers
-Last season: 21-9-4 with a .929 save percentage and 2.21 goals against average as backup for Henrik Lundqvist for the New York Rangers.

-Oilers debut: Took the 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues

-15-16 Forecast: Talbot was one of the hottest goalies on the market in the offseason after a primo 2014-15 campaign filling in for Lundqvist. The scenery is different this time around as he doesn't have New York's defense in front of him up, however he still ended his opening night for Edmonton with 28 saves, including a massive stop on a shot by Vladimir Tarasenko. If the Oilers can get offense going in front of him, those 28-save type games will turn into wins for Talbot.

Robin Lehner, Buffalo Sabres
-Last season: 9-12-3 with a .905 save percentage and 3.02 goals against average for the Ottawa Senators.

-Sabres debut: Sustained a "lower body injury" in 3-1 loss to the Senators.

-15-16 Forecast: Buffalo had high hopes for their summer acquisition, but it looks like his opportunity to prove himself will be shelved for the time-being. The 24-year-old was reportedly seen leaving the hospital wearing a boot, and coach Dan Bylsma reportedly said that the injury "doesn't look like it's short term."