Sheng Peng
The San Jose Sharks still appear to be looking for a goalie.
“We’ll address the No. 3 [goaltender] spot at some point here in the offseason,” GM Mike Grier said after the first day of free agency.
More than a month later, however, the San Jose Sharks still haven’t landed another netminder.
Of course, training camp is still another month out. The Sharks might also be able to take advantage of final roster cuts at the end of camp.
San Jose isn’t looking for just any goalie to also be the presumptive Barracuda starter.
“That No. 3 goaltender, somebody that we would be looking at, would have more of a prospect flavor to them. Probably a little bit younger and you could grow with for a little while, as opposed to somebody maybe for one year,” Barracuda GM Joe Will told the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast on Wednesday.
So who could the San Jose Sharks be targeting?
Five types of goalies stand out.
Top Prospect
Yaroslav Askarov, of course, would be the dream.
One of the top goaltending prospects in the world, Askarov is blocked by star Juuse Saros with the Nashville Predators.
The cost, however, would be prohibitive.
My best guess, it would cost at least Quentin Musty or the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2025 first-round pick, to start.
Mid-Level Prospect
This is the more likely scenario.
The San Jose Sharks were hoping that 24-year-old Eetu Makiniemi could fill the No. 3 role last year, as Will explained on the podcast.
Makiniemi, however, couldn’t shake the injury bug, and first-year pros Magnus Chrona and Georgi Romanov had to handle the bulk of the work for the struggling Cuda.
This season, Will is still hoping for a little more seasoning ahead of Chrona and Romanov: “When we’re talking about like a No. 3 in the organization, perhaps somebody with a little bit more experience, a few more games under their belt.”
So who could fit that bill?
Looking over other team’s depth charts, two names stuck out.
Clay Stevenson, 25, has excelled since the Washington Capitals signed him out of Dartmouth in 2022.
He shared the Hershey Bears net with veteran starter Hunter Shepard last year, on the way to the Calder Cup.
The Capitals might not be looking to trade him though, the waiver-exempt goalie appears to be a decent prospect who has more upside than the 28-year-old Shepard.
On the other hand, Washington also has other older prospects like Mitchell Gibson and Garin Bjorklund, who could be ready to back up in Hershey.
Jakub Skarek, 24, was a 2018 New York Islanders third-round pick, who has played five non-descript seasons in the AHL.
Bridgeport looks set in goal with Marcus Hogberg and Henrik Tikkanen, so Skarek should be headed to waivers.
If Skarek clears, the San Jose Sharks could trade for him, then send him down to the AHL without exposing him to waivers again.
Skarek shouldn’t cost much, but if San Jose likes him, he’s certainly got a lot more pro experience than Chrona and Romanov.
Non-Prospect Prospect
Skarek might fall more under this category, a mid-20’s goalie who’s theoretically young enough to be a prospect but might not be considered that leaguewide anymore.
Perhaps the Boston Bruins’ Brandon Bussi or Michael DiPietro or Utah Hockey Club’s Matt Villalta also belong in this category?
All 25 or 26, Bussi, DiPietro, and Villalta have enjoyed solid AHL success, but have never really received much of an NHL shot.
Like Skarek, it’s likely that these three would pass through waivers, and both Boston and Utah have other No. 3 goalie options.
Veteran
If all else fails, the Sharks could just opt for a 30-something vet.
Will didn’t rule it out: “If we go through everything and younger goaltenders aren’t available, we might go back and get somebody who is a little bit older.”
The Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets both have three NHL keepers.
In Los Angeles, David Rittich and Pheonix Copley are dueling for the back-up role behind Darcy Kuemper. In Winnipeg, Eric Comrie and familiar face Kaapo Kahkonen are competing behind Connor Hellebuyck.
These options are probably too good for the AHL, luxuries for a No. 3 spot.
Also, remember waivers rules: If a team claims a player through waivers, they should keep that player in the NHL for the year.
There are also a number of unsigned vets, like Aaron Dell or Malcolm Subban, among others, who the Cuda could sign to AHL contracts.
Most of these goalies still appear to be available:
Cap Dump
Could the Detroit Red Wings still look to dump Ville Husso and his one year left at $4.75 million AAV? They’ve got Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon ahead of him on depth chart, and top prospect Sebastian Cossa waiting in the wings.
Maybe the San Jose Sharks could extract an asset from the Red Wings while they’re at it? Detroit, however, isn’t under the gun to get out from under Husso’s contract.
The 29-year-old also has a 10-Team No-Trade List.
Of course, there’s an argument for the Barracuda to just run with Chrona and Romanov. But neither distinguished themselves last year, and considering the investment that the Sharks organization has made on top AHL free agents Andrew Poturalski, Lucas Carlsson, and Jimmy Schuldt, you’d think they want more reliable goaltending insurance in kind.