Following greater than a yr of hypothesis, the San Jose Sharks have lastly made a long-anticipated transfer by buying and selling goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, together with ahead Givani Smith and a draft decide, to the Colorado Avalanche in change for 2 gamers and two draft picks.
The Sharks made the deal for a lot of causes, together with a want to promote excessive on Blackwood following some stellar current performances, but additionally to shore up the group’s future. Now that Blackwood is off the group, the Sharks have a brand new image in internet and their roster as a complete. Listed here are three essential implications of this commerce.
Yaroslav Askarov’s Timeline Accelerates
One of many main questions this season is when will extremely anticipated goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov turn into a full-time NHL netminder? San Jose’s acquisition of one other goalie on this commerce — extra on that in a second — suggests he’s not fairly there but. Nevertheless, the commerce additionally signifies that it’ll occur quite a bit earlier than anticipated.
Final season, Blackwood gave the impression to be establishing himself as San Jose’s long-term starter. That modified when administration traded for Askarov, with the clear intention of finally making him their primary. Since then, he has justified the commerce by being arguably the perfect goaltender within the American Hockey League and was largely very good in two video games with the Sharks.
Blackwood continued to play nicely, however Askarov’s efficiency made him extra tradeable. The commerce with Colorado opens up extra space for Askarov and solidifies his future position as a number-one goalie slightly than as a tandem with Blackwood. Moreover, with no Blackwood to say begins, Askarov may have a everlasting spot on the roster later this season and might be their essential goalie as quickly as opening evening of subsequent season, neither of which was assured when Blackwood was current.
Georgiev and Vanecek Might Compete For Backup Job
The Blackwood commerce included a goalie swap, with Alexandar Georgiev turning into the most recent random veteran goalie to hitch the Sharks, a pattern we’ve seen for the final 5 seasons. Like many of the others, the circumstances of his arrival counsel he shall be a stopgap measure, however he ought to take the chance to show himself. He’s having a tough marketing campaign, however the commerce offers him an opportunity to reset, significantly by going from a group that expects to contend to a group that doesn’t.
Associated: Sharks Counting on Vanecek and Blackwood for Higher and for Worse
If Georgiev can return to a degree close to his peak, he may drive the Sharks’ entrance workplace to think about him for a spot backing up Askarov. He’ll face competitors, nonetheless, from Vitek Vanecek. The 2 are very related gamers; they’re virtually the very same age and have had inconsistent careers with optimistic and adverse stretches. The approaching months shall be an opportunity for the Sharks to judge each of them and decide if both has a future in San Jose. However the group additionally won’t be accomplished making strikes, as both might be traded in the event that they play nicely sufficient to command curiosity from different groups.
Nikolai Kovalenko Is Sharks’ Newest Younger Ahead Reclamation
Essentially the most notable participant becoming a member of the Sharks within the commerce is right-winger Nikolai Kovalenko. A sixth-round decide of the Avalanche in 2018, he has spent most of his skilled profession in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League and made his NHL debut in the course of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This season, he has eight factors in 28 video games with Colorado.
Kovalenko brings a whole lot of positives as a clean skater with aggression, playmaking means and a fast shot. In Colorado, he was caught behind some very proficient forwards and wasn’t capable of escape or tackle a task that finest suited his recreation. The Sharks may give him an opportunity to face out extra. Since Mike Grier took over as normal supervisor, they’ve taken on a couple of initiatives, seeing potential in a younger or inexperienced ahead and bringing him into what they hope is a comparatively low-pressure atmosphere, given their restricted playoff hopes. As one may count on, the outcomes have been combined. As an example, a change of surroundings labored very nicely for Fabian Zetterlund however held combined outcomes for Filip Zadina.
With Kovalenko but to take the ice in teal, nobody throughout the Sharks group will be certain how he’ll match, however he’ll get loads of alternatives to make an affect and solidify a spot each within the NHL.
Sharks Take But One other Step in Rebuild
The Sharks are displaying {that a} rebuild doesn’t occur shortly, significantly given the tough place from which they began theirs. However one transaction at a time, they’re placing collectively a group they consider can finally be among the many NHL’s finest. This most up-to-date transfer says quite a bit about their emotions in direction of Askarov, Georgiev, Vanecek, Kovalenko and, by extension, the standing of their present path. They may very nicely make extra large choices involving all or any of them, however not earlier than letting the on-ice outcomes decide their subsequent plan of action.
