The San Jose Sharks are optimistic about their goaltending situation as they head into the new NHL season. With significant changes to both their forward and defensive lines, the team believes the additions of experienced players will enhance their competitiveness. Central to this transformation is the goaltending duo of Yaroslav Askarov, now stepping into a full-time NHL role, and Alex Nedeljkovic, who brings experience and competition for the starting position.
Last season, the Sharks experienced a challenging goaltending situation, highlighted by a disappointing combined save percentage of just .881, ranking them third-worst in the league. Their goals against average of 3.74 was also the highest in the NHL. The team’s head coach, Ryan Warsofsky, acknowledged the need for improvement, stating, “We needed to solidify our goaltending position, and I thought we did a good job getting a guy like (Nedeljkovic) to complement (Askarov) as a young pro.”
Askarov, at just 23 years old, has shown promise as a goalie. In the 2022-23 season, he played 60 games for the Nashville Predators’ AHL affiliate in Milwaukee, demonstrating his capability. However, a lower body injury limited his appearances to 41 games last season, split between the Sharks and the Barracuda.
Meanwhile, Nedeljkovic, now 29, faced a challenging year with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he recorded a career-low save percentage of .894 in 38 games. Despite the struggles, he has accumulated a career save percentage of .903 over 179 games in the past five seasons, making him a valuable asset as he aims to reclaim his form.
The Sharks are set for a demanding start to the season, playing 16 games in the first month, including four back-to-back matchups. This schedule raises questions about how the workload will be divided between Askarov and Nedeljkovic. Warsofsky emphasized the importance of managing Askarov’s health, stating, “(Askarov’s) got to stay healthy, we’ve got to manage him and there’s a lot of data that goes with that.”
Askarov’s transition to the NHL will be closely monitored, especially concerning how many games he can realistically handle as a full-time starter.
Injury Updates and Player Development
Another focus for the Sharks is Macklin Celebrini, a center who recently missed practice due to an illness. He returned to the ice but did not participate in contact drills. Celebrini, who became a standout player during his rookie season, is expected to contribute significantly if he can regain full fitness. Warsofsky commented on Celebrini’s recovery plan, saying, “We’ve got a pretty good plan on how we want to approach this.”
In addition to Celebrini, defenseman John Klingberg is also dealing with an upper body injury but skated separately from the main group. His status for the upcoming preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights remains uncertain. The Sharks are eager to see Klingberg return to form after he played over 21 minutes and scored a power-play goal in a recent victory against the Golden Knights.
Rookie defenseman Haoxi (Simon) Wang, who was selected 33rd overall in June, is dealing with a lower body issue but is not expected to miss significant time. Warsofsky described Wang’s situation as primarily a maintenance issue, indicating it is “not too serious.”
As the Sharks prepare for the new season, the focus remains on solidifying their goaltending and ensuring key players return to optimal health. The decisions made in the coming weeks will be crucial as the team aims to improve upon last season’s performance and compete effectively in the NHL.
