Sharks goaltending situation made even more confusing

The San Jose Sharks are currently in a somewhat peculiar position when it comes to goaltending, and the situation was only convoluted more today with a signing. Last season with such disorder in the defense sector, it was nearly impossible to get an accurate gauge on the quality of play between goaltenders Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic.  With little to no support in front of them, both goalies were repeatedly hung out to dry.  The goaltending situation was already made difficult two months ago by signing Eric Comrie and further complicated a few weeks ago by bringing over young goalie, 21-year-old Yaroslav Korostelyov, from the KHL. Today, the situation has been made even more confusing by signing goalie Ilya Samsonov to a one-year, two-way contract.

Last season, there was no clear starting goalie.  24-year-old Yaroslav Askarov and 30-year-old Alex Nedeljkovic split the season almost directly down the middle, with Askarov playing 47 games and Nedeljkovic playing 40.  With defense in complete disarray in front of them, neither had remarkable records.  Askarov in his first full NHL season playing 47 games recorded a goals against average of 3.63, a save percentage of less than 89%, and a record of 21-20-4.  Nedeljkovic in his 40 games had a goals against average of 2.87, a save percentage of about 90%, and a record of 18-14-4.  While Nedeljkovic’s statistics were marginally better, it wasn’t enough to make a clear distinction between the two.  

Going into this season, it’s still unclear who gets the start.  Askarov is younger and certainly has potential, but had some headscratching moments last season that planted the slightest seed of doubt in fans.  That being said, it was his first full season in the NHL and he was not being supported by the team in front of him, essentially left to face the opposition alone.  However, this coming season is incredibly important for Askarov.  Last year made it difficult to understand where he stood in terms of development, especially for his first full season, but this year will be the last on his entry-level contract.    While defense has most definitely been slightly improved (on paper at least) this offseason, it’s still in a relatively precarious spot especially considering this being a defining season for the young goalie.  Nedeljkovic is much further along in his career but, while it’s unlikely he’s going anywhere, all eyes will be on Askarov’s performance this season.

Considering Eric Comrie is 31-years-old and has been a backup for several years, it’s more likely he’ll be in the rotation as the third goalie who fans don’t see that often.  However, bringing 29-year-old Ilya Samsonov over from the KHL on a two-way contract is a bit confusing.  It was just three weeks ago the Sharks announced Yaroslav Korostelyov terminated his contract with the KHL with the intention of joining the organization.  Korostelyov had a great season in the MHL (Russia’s junior league) for SKA-1946 St. Petersburg putting up a record of 14-5-0, goals against average of 2.22 and a save percentage of about 92%.  It makes sense to bring over the young goalie, particularly in the context of the San Jose Barracuda.  However, the two-way aspect of Samsonov’s new contract makes it seem like he also was brought on for the sake of the AHL team.

Originally drafted 22nd overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2015 NHL Draft, Samsonov never really found his footing in the NHL.  In the eight years existing in NHL systems, Samsonov only had two good seasons.  Unable to make his mark and find a home in North America, last season he made the move to the KHL to play for HK Sochi.  In 14 games, Samsonov was mediocre with a goals against average of 3.27, save percentage of 90%, and an abysmal record of 3-8-0.  

All in all, the signing of Samsonov seems particularly strange.  The goaltending situation for the Sharks as a whole is a bit unstable, and extremely confusing.  Why has the team seemingly been hoarding goalies?  What was the purpose of signing Samsonov when Korostelyov was just brought over from the KHL to serve a similar purpose…with a significantly better track record. Plus, what does this all mean for Askarov and Nedeljkovic?  How will this impact Askarov’s future with the team, if it does at all?  The Sharks have a lot of question marks floating overhead, not just in terms of goaltending, so this season will certainly be an interesting one.