Are the San Jose Sharks looking for a goaltending upgrade?
Pending UFA Sergei Bobrovsky, 37, according to Elliotte Friedman, doesn’t seem close to re-signing with the Florida Panthers.
“San Jose makes sense,” Friedman told the FAN Hockey Show on Mar. 3.
Jeff Marek reported the same thing on Feb. 22 on the DFO Rundown.
So how does this make sense for the San Jose Sharks?
In the summer of 2024, San Jose sent out the equivalent of two first-round picks to the Nashville Predators for star prospect Yaroslav Askarov. Then this past summer, they added veteran Alex Nedeljkovic to pair with the youngster.
Askarov and Nedeljkovic have not been lights out, but they’ve been good enough to guide the surprising Sharks within striking distance of a Western Conference wild card berth.
Marek noted that the San Jose Sharks could be looking at Bobrovsky as an upgrade on Nedeljkovic. Bobrovsky is a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion and a future Hall of Famer.
That said, per Stathletes, Nedeljkovic (+5.49 Goals Saved Above Expected) has outperformed Bobrovsky (-18.3 GSAE) this season. He’s actually outperformed Askarov (+1.37 GSAE) this year, too.
But if you can look past this season, there is no question about which potential Askarov mentor and tandem partner is more decorated. For what it’s worth, Bobrovsky is also Russian, like Askarov.
Nedeljkovic, 30, is also a pending UFA, so this could also be the San Jose Sharks looking ahead beyond this season.
So this could make sense, if you still think highly of Bobrovsky, and the cost is right, in terms of both trade and extension.
Ironically, Bobrovsky and Nedeljkovic got into the first goalie fight in six years in January, when the Sharks visited the Panthers.