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Sharks dealt brutal Vitek Vanecek injury update

Originally posted on NHL on ClutchPoints
By Colin Gallant | Last updated Dec 19, 2024 2:07 PM ET

Although there was an opportunity for San Jose Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanecek to earn more playing time after Mackenzie Blackwood was shipped to the Colorado Avalanche, the 28-year-old’s quest will be halted after he suffered an upper-body injury on Tuesday night.

Vanecek was backing up Alex Georgiev in a tilt against the Winnipeg Jets — the Russian was part of the trade with the Avs — and was hit in the head with a puck during the second period. He’ll miss at least a couple of weeks due to the ailment he sustained, head coach Ryan Warsofsky confirmed on Wednesday.

“Terrible luck. Feel for the kid,” the bench boss said, per NHL.com’s Max Miller. “We got a stick on a puck, and it goes flying into a bench and he takes one up high. It’s unfortunate. He’s going to be out here a little bit … [a] couple weeks for sure.”

The Sharks ended up losing the game 4-3, but the loss of Vanecek is much more disappointing. Although it’s been a tough season for the Czech native — he owns a 3-8-1 record along with a 3.84 goals-against average and .885 save percentage — it’s a brutal way to go down.

The hope in California is that the injury won’t keep Vanecek out too long, and that he’ll be able to return shortly after the New Year. This is his second injury of the season after sustaining a different upper-body ailment on November 16, per Miller.

In his absence, Yaroslav Askarov was recalled from the American Hockey League’s San Jose Barracuda, and it probably won’t take long before he’s between the pipes.

Yaroslav Askarov time in San Jose?

San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) clears the puck against the Los Angeles Kings in the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Although no goaltender has been confirmed for Thursday night’s home tilt against the Avalanche, it’s extremely likely that Georgiev will get the nod. Both he and Blackwood should be in the crease as they each play against their old squads, and Blackwood has already been confirmed for the contest.

But — assuming Askarov doesn’t start on Thursday — there’s a great chance the Russian will return to San Jose’s crease as soon as Saturday night in Edmonton against the Oilers.

“It’s an opportunity,” Warsofsky said, per Miller. “Unfortunate circumstances with Vitek going down, but it’s an opportunity for him to play some games, probably consistently.”

After being acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Nashville Predators, the former first-round pick has only appeared in two games in 2024-25; the 22-year-old is 1-0-1 with a .927 save percentage in that span. He’s been fantastic at the AHL level, putting together a 9-4-4 record along with a 2.00 GAA and .938 SV%.

It’ll be interesting to see if one of the highest rated goaltending prospects in hockey can help the Sharks improve on their mediocre 11-18-5 record. Puck drops between San Jose and Colorado just past 10:30 p.m. ET from SAP Center on Thursday.

This article first appeared on NHL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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