Jakub Skarek Signs In Germany

Jakub Skarek has spent most of the past several seasons in a third- or fourth-string role between the pipes.  As a result, rather than signing up for more of the same, he has decided to head overseas as Straubing of the DEL announced that they’ve signed the netminder for the upcoming season.

The 26-year-old was originally drafted by the Islanders back in 2018, going 72nd overall.  He turned pro with them one season later and spent parts of six seasons with AHL Bridgeport, playing a little under 40 games in three of those.  But Skarek wasn’t able to progress past the third-string role.  He got into a pair of games with the Isles in 2025 but by then, he was down to fourth-string status in their organization.

When he became a Group Six free agent last summer, Skarek initially headed overseas, signing in Finland.  However, two months later, he accepted a two-way offer from San Jose to serve as depth in their system.  He received a pair of brief NHL recalls but didn’t see any game action while he was limited to just 20 games with the Barracuda, posting a 3.12 GAA with an .888 SV% in those outings.  Over his seven AHL campaigns, Skarek’s GAA always started with a three while his SV% never reached the .900 mark in a single season.

With that in mind, it’s not surprising that Skarek is going back to his original plan from last summer by signing overseas.  While he could have landed another two-way deal to serve as organizational depth, he should have a better shot at a more prominent role with Straubing and at this stage of his career, more playing time is needed.  A good showing there could open up some other opportunities a year from now, even if those aren’t in North America.