Mike Grier spent the summer going after the problem that was impossible to miss. San Jose gave up the third-most goals in the NHL last season, so the Sharks’ general manager spent big to reshape the blue line, bringing in Darnell Nurse and his $9.25 million cap hit, signing Jacob Trouba, and taking a swing on Michael Kesselring as a reclamation project.
The defense got the overhaul. The position behind it did not.
That’s the risk hanging over San Jose now: the Sharks may have done plenty to make life easier in front of the crease, but they still need Yaroslav Askarov to become the goalie they believe he can be. After his first full season as the starter, there are still more questions than answers.
The hype around Askarov was real from the start. He came over from Nashville with a reputation as the best goaltending prospect in hockey, a 6-foot-3, explosive, mobile talent who had already taken over the AHL and looked like a future star. Once he got his extended NHL run, though, the production didn’t come close to the promise.
In 47 games during 2025-26, Askarov finished with a .884 save percentage and a 3.63 goals-against average, both well below league average. He gave up at least three goals for long stretches, and there were nights when the Sharks pulled him early after the game unraveled in front of him. His goals saved above expected was among the worst marks in the league.
That said, the situation in front of him was rough. San Jose was rolling out one of the youngest and leakiest defensive groups in hockey, and that group bled high-danger chances almost every night.
No goalie is going to look good facing that kind of traffic. The Sharks still came close to the playoffs anyway, a result that owed as much to Macklin Celebrini’s brilliance as anything else.
So Grier’s offseason strategy makes sense on paper. Instead of bringing in a proven starter to challenge Askarov or take the net away from him, he chose to bet that a better defense would clean up the mess.
Nurse, Trouba, and Kesselring should cut down on the chaos around the crease, and a calmer setup can do a lot for a goalie’s numbers. If Askarov was being dragged down by the team in front of him, this is the obvious way to help him.
But it’s still a bet, not a fix. The only notable addition in goal was Eric Comrie, a career backup on a modest deal, while Alex Nedeljkovic returns as veteran insurance.
Neither looks like a true No. 1 who can carry the load if Askarov stumbles again. San Jose has clearly decided to double down on the 24-year-old and trust that a better second season and a sturdier defense will bring out the goalie they expected.
There is reason to believe that could happen. Askarov’s tools are real, and goaltenders often need time to settle in, especially when they’re playing behind a rebuilding team.
His AHL résumé backs that up, with a .913 save percentage over three seasons. A bounce-back is very much in play, and if it arrives, the Sharks’ crease changes fast.
Still, the margin is tight. San Jose missed the playoffs by four points last season, and the Pacific Division won’t make the climb any easier. Goaltending can wreck a season in a hurry, and the Sharks do not have an established safety net if Askarov struggles again.
Every other hole on the roster was addressed with a veteran addition or the expectation of internal growth. In net, San Jose is asking faith to do the heavy lifting. For a team trying to end a seven-year playoff drought, that’s a dangerous place to leave the biggest question on the board.
In Other News...
Orlovs Candid Take On Sharks Moves Changes How This Draft Pick Looks
Dmitry Orlovs recollection of first meeting Alexander Karmanov offers a small but revealing window into how the Sharks latest draft pick is being viewed around the hockey world. Orlov said he ran into Karmanov when he was still with Carolina, and the immediate takeaway was the defensemans unusual height and the fact that he had already logged early hockey experience in America, details that help explain why San Jose saw enough upside to bring him into the system.
Karmanov is expected to come to Sharks training camp before heading back to the North Bay Battalion for his second OHL season, with Penn State already on the calendar for 2027-28. For San Jose, the path is still a long one, but the early impressions matter, especially when a prospects frame, background and development track can shape how he fits into the organizations bigger plans. Orlovs broader comments on trades and roster moves only added to the sense that this is a team still taking stock of where its future pieces might land. [Read more 🡒]