San Jose’s goaltending picture could come into focus quickly this season, and Yaroslav Askarov is at the center of it.
The Sharks are counting on the 24-year-old to take a real step forward after an uneven first full NHL season, but general manager Mike Grier left the door open to making a move if things go sideways early. For now, though, the organization is betting on internal options - and on Askarov showing the kind of growth that can stabilize a team trying to push toward the playoffs.
“I think it’s a big year for him,” Grier said last week. “But at the same time, I think he’s taken that responsibility.
This is the best he’s looked coming into camp, as far as physically with his conditioning. He’s definitely put in the time over the summer, so hopefully that translates into the season.”
Coach Ryan Warsofsky’s wish list for Askarov is simpler.
“I think we want to see him save the puck,” Warsofsky said last week with a smile. “Of course, we want him to string some games together. … But we want to see a guy that really jumps and takes the No. 1 job and runs with it and develops in that way.”
Askarov’s first full NHL season had flashes, but the finish left plenty of questions. He was excellent in November, going 8-2-0 with a .944 save percentage, but he ended the year at 21-20-4 in 47 games.
He won only two of his last nine starts, and that stretch included losses to Vancouver and Chicago, with an .871 save percentage. The advanced numbers weren’t much kinder.
That slide came as the Sharks missed the playoffs by four points, and the conversation around Askarov’s progress grew louder.
Grier has pushed back a bit on the impatience, noting that goalies often need more time than skaters and that Askarov is adjusting to the demands of an NHL workload and the extra travel that comes with being on the West Coast. Even so, the message from the front office is clear: the Sharks need him to move forward.
One reason the team is optimistic is the work Askarov has put in over the summer. He said he added about 10 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-4 frame, after being listed at 180 pounds last season.
“I’ve changed my summer routine a little bit,” Askarov said. “Got a new goalie coach (in Russia).
New strength trainer off the ice, as well. I changed my nutrition a little bit.
“Just feel a little bit more ready.”
He also said the “highlight” of his offseason was learning how to swim.
“I (was) swimming like a dog before,” Askarov said, adding that he went to a “professional facility with a coach because the weather in St. Petersburg wasn’t good this summer. A lot cloudy, not sunny.”
That added work matters because the calendar is moving fast. Askarov could get into Tuesday’s preseason home opener against the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Sharks’ shortened training camp leaves less room for a goalie to find a rhythm before the games count.
San Jose plays preseason games Thursday and Saturday, then has only two or three practices next week before opening the regular season at home against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 1.
Nedeljkovic said the compressed schedule puts extra pressure on the position.
“I think (the shorter camp) probably affects our position the most, just because you don’t have those extra games,” Nedeljkovic said. “You’re (No. 1 goalie), he’s got to play at least - I would imagine - two games. It’s usually what I feel like most guys get.”
The early stretch won’t be gentle. Four of the Sharks’ next five games after Oct. 1 are against playoff teams from last season, and then comes a six-game, 10-day road trip in which five opponents finished ahead of San Jose in the overall standings last year.
That’s the backdrop for Grier’s comment about outside help. Asked whether he could pursue goaltending reinforcements - including three-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck, who has requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets and was suspended last week for missing training camp - Grier said he trusts his current group, but he didn’t rule out a move if the right opportunity presents itself.
“If for whatever reason (Askarov’s) not on top of his game to start the year, I think we’re more than comfortable with (Nedeljkovic),” Grier said of the goaltending position. “We’re lucky to have him, and (Eric) Comrie down as the No. 3 gives us some good depth, so we feel good about where our goaltending is.
“It’s probably the most depth we’ve had since I’ve been here, so it’s exciting, but it’s no different than any other position out there, right? If something pops up and I feel like it can improve the team and help us be a better team, and it makes sense not only in the short term but in the long term, then I’m always open to exploring.”
For the Sharks, the simplest outcome is also the best one: Askarov plays well, carries the load, and makes the whole discussion unnecessary.
“I keep focusing on today,” Askarov said. “That’s only what we can change: today. Let’s keep focusing on today.”
Warsofsky sounded the same note.
“Everyone develops at his own pace, and goaltenders are no different,” Warsofsky said. “But it’s obviously a big year for him.
He put in a lot of work this summer. He’s gotten stronger.
He looks bigger. He’s in good shape.
So keep working with him and improving his game. But we all want him to take the next step.
That’s for sure.”
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