SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks and general manager Mike Grier might soon have to decide what to do with goalie Yaroslav Askarov for the rest of the season, or at least until the NHL trade deadline in March.
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Six weeks after he suffered a fractured cheekbone, goalie Vitek Vanecek appears to be getting close to a return as he’s been skating with the Sharks in recent days and, per coach Ryan Warsofsky, is now considered day-to-day,
Once Vanecek comes off injured reserve and is deemed fit to play again, the Sharks could keep Askarov in the NHL, and, assuming everyone is healthy at that point, carry three goalies on their roster. Another option is to assign Askarov back to the AHL, where he would presumably assist the Barracuda in its pursuit of a playoff spot.
Grier has other alternatives as well if the Sharks have three healthy goalies, but sending Askarov back to the Barracuda appears to be the most plausible option, and perhaps the most prudent.
With an often shaky defense in front of him, Askarov, over his last four appearances, is 0-3-0 with a .852 save percentage. In his last two games, he’s allowed nine goals on 55 shots. Saturday against the Florida Panthers, he and Alexandar Georgiev combined to stop just 25 of 32 shots in a 7-2 loss.
With the two games, Askarov’s save percentage dropped from .912 to .899, and his goals saved above expected per 60 minutes, per moneypuck.com, went from .426 to .181, falling from 12th out of 70 NHL goalies who had played at least nine games, to 27th.
Asked after Saturday’s game to evaluate his goalies, Warsofsky said, “Both of them looked a little shaky at times.”
It won’t be known until late Monday afternoon whether Askarov or Georgiev will play against the Pittsburgh Penguins, as the Sharks look to snap a six-game losing streak.
Vanecek is working his way back after sustaining a fractured cheekbone on Dec. 17 when he was struck in the face by a puck as he sat near the Shark’s bench. While Vanecek’s cheek is fully healed, Warsofsky said the veteran goalie needs time to sharpen his on-ice skills.
“We’ve got to see him in some traffic; we got to see him in different situations and kind of go from there,” Warsofsky said.
Both Vanecek and Georgiev are pending unrestricted free agents and although the goalie market can be fickle, it’s possible Grier can deal one before the trade deadline on March 7. Vanecek’s cap hit is $3.4 million and Georgiev’s is $2.924 million.
If Askarov is returned to the AHL at some point, he would be a tremendous asset to the Barracuda, which is trying to secure a high seed for the start of the Calder Cup playoffs.
The Sharks’ front office has talked about how valuable playoff games can be to a prospect’s development and would love to see the Barracuda go on a long postseason run. San Jose (22-14-2-2) entered this week tied for third place in the AHL’s Pacific Division and is having its best season in years. If Askarov is in the AHL for the postseason, the Barracuda could do some damage.
Askarov would have to be on the Barracuda’s roster on the day of the NHL trade deadline, March 7, to be eligible for the AHL playoffs.
Before the Sharks recalled him on Dec. 18, Askarov had a 9-4-1 record and a .938 save percentage with three shutouts in 14 games with the Barracuda this season. He was named to the Pacific Division team for the AHL All-Star Classic next month in Palm Desert, but whether he plays in the game will depend on whether he’s with the Sharks or Barracuda.
“I think anything’s a possibility,” Barracuda general manager Joe Will said recently when asked about having Askarov for a playoff run. “This is the time of year when we’re having a lot of our meetings about moving forward and what we’re doing for development and everything else.”
“So anything’s possible. With any of the young players, they could play some games with the Sharks, they could play some games with the Barracuda, and they could be playoff eligible for the Barracuda.”
The Barracuda hasn’t made the postseason since 2021, when the team played four games in a truncated playoff format with Pacific Division teams only. With Askarov, they could play a few more games than that, with AHL rookies Filip Bystedt, Ethan Cardwell, Luca Cagnoni, and others benefiting from the experience.
“That’s why we prioritized having a competitive team and making a playoff run … to expose the prospects,” Barracuda coach John McCarthy said. “I think any experience will be good. If the games are playoff games, playoff-stretch games, or we’re coming down to the wire, I think everything’s heightened, and it’s the closest thing you can get to an NHL game.”
