The Sharks have signed goaltender Jakub Skarek to a one-year contract, the team announced today in a press release. It’s unclear if it’s a one-way or a two-way deal, but it’s a league-minimum contract either way.
Skarek, 25, has been playing professionally for a decade, dating back to his time in the second tier of Czech hockey, years before the Islanders selected him in the third round of the 2018 draft. He has played almost exclusively for the Isles’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport since his arrival in North America in 2019.
The Czech native didn’t make his NHL debut until injuries forced him into action for a stretch last season, posting a .872 SV% and 3.94 GAA in one start and one relief appearance in February. He’s long struggled to be a needle-mover at the minor league level, posting a 3.34 GAA, .890 SV%, five shutouts, and a 49-84-17 record in 161 career appearances for Bridgeport.
Skarek was a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer and likely didn’t anticipate having much NHL interest as a result of his poor minor-league track record, so he signed a one-year deal in Finland with HIFK back in May. Instead, he’s back in North America with the Sharks, who needed depth netminders with Alexandar Georgiev and Georgi Romanov reaching free agency and top prospect Yaroslav Askarov expected to take over as their No. 1 this season.
San Jose now has four goaltenders under contract, with Skarek likely being the No. 3 on their depth chart behind Askarov and recent trade pickup Alex Nedeljkovic. He’ll presumably land on waivers in the fall and, if he clears, share the San Jose Barracuda’s crease with undrafted prospect Gabriel Carriere and the AHL-contracted Matt Davis.