Sharks sign Jakub Skarek to one-year contract

Grier says Skarek’s experience at his young age made him an intriguing target after free agency opened up on July 1.

“Jakub has a plethora of professional experience in net at just 25 years old,” Grier said in a release. “He is a big, athletic goaltender with a lot of compete in his game.”

This is the first time Skarek will be moving organizations. The Czech netminder has been a member of the New York Islanders since the team took him in the third round, 72nd overall, of the 2018 NHL Draft. After playing a season with the Lahti Pelicans of Liiga in Finland, Skarek moved to North America for the 2019-20 season, joining the Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Across the next six seasons, the Jihlava native played primarily with Bridgeport, even with the team rebranded as the Islanders in 2021. Although the team as a whole has struggled, leading to the team reportedly relocating to Hamilton in two seasons, Skarek has shown flashes of being a solid prospect. His play during the 2021-22 season helped Bridgeport qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs. That year, he posted a 16-15-5 record, with a 3.30 goals-against average, a .896 save percentage and a shutout.

This past season, Skarek earned a shot at the NHL, making his debut with the Big Isles on Feb. 2 against the Florida Panthers. He made 32 saves in a 6-3 loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champions. In two games, Skarek was 0-1, with a 3.94 GAA and a .827 SV%.

In 161 AHL games, he has a record of 49-84-17 with a 3.34 GAA, a .890 SV%, and five shutouts.

Along with his pro experience, Skarek has some hardware from the international scene. His play helped Czechia win the gold medal at the 2016 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He also played at three IIHF World Junior Championships from 2017 to 2019.

Skarek joins a goaltending group in San Jose that features top prospect Yaroslav Askarov and veteran Alex Nedeljkovic.