Sharks Interested In No. 3 Goalie, Starter For AHL

In a recent interview with SJHN's Sheng Peng, San Jose Sharks Assistant GM and San Jose Barracuda Joe Will said the team is still looking to sign another goaltender .

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"That No. 3 goaltender, somebody that we would be looking at, would have more of a prospect flavor to them. Probably a little bit younger and you could grow with for a little while, as opposed to somebody maybe for one year," Barracuda GM Joe Will told the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast.

Last season, the 'Cuda ran with the Magnus Chrona and Georgi Romanov tandem for most of the season. With Vitek Vanecek, who only played 32 games last season before getting hurt, the presumed backup for Mackenzie Blackwood, San Jose doesn't want to take any chances should he not be ready. After the first day of free agency, Sharks GM Mike Grier told reporters that the team is in the market for a No. 3 goalie.

"We expect Vitek to be ready, but as anything goes with surgery and rehab, you never know. He feels he's in a good spot right now. He's working hard. He's got himself on the ice," Grier said. "We'll probably address the number three spot at some point here in the offseason."

So, what goalies are available that fit what Joe Will told SJHN?

The obvious answer would be Nashville Predators' top goalie prospect, Yaroslav Askarov, but that would cost a fortune. San Jose has the assets to acquire Askarov, but it isn't in a winning position to move said assets. Plus, Askarov wants NHL time, and with Vanecek in the fold, that could be hard to come by.

Another free-agent goalie is former Los Angeles Kings goalie Jacob Ingham. At 24, Ingham fits the "prospect flavor" that Will seeks. Ingham spent most of last season in the ECHL with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

He played six games in the AHL, and he played pretty well. In six games with the Ontario Reign, Ingham had a 3-2 record, a .917 save %, and a 2.71 GAA.

With slim pickings available, the San Jose Sharks likely have to pivot to a veteran goaltender if Ingham isn't the answer. Former Sharks starter Martin Jones is a UFA and could be an option to return and mentor Chrona and Romanov. Jones was the Toronto Maple Leafs' No. 3 netminder last season.

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