Antti Niemi's fate is now in the hands of Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman and the rest of the team's brass.

An arbitrator awarded the Stanley Cup-winning goaltender a $2.75 million salary for next season on Saturday. The Hawks have 48 hours to decide whether to accept the award, walk away or trade Niemi.

It was believed that Niemi's camp was looking for an amount above $3 million. So keeping Niemi in the fold is now a real option for the Hawks, who most likely were after an award close to $2 million.

Stay tuned for more.