San Jose Sharks: Is it time to give Josef Korenar a shot as an NHL goalie?
By Justin Fried
The San Jose Sharks have experienced numerous problems with their goaltending, among other issues. Is it time to give Josef Korenar a shot at the NHL level?
The San Jose Sharks have struggled to a horrid 4-10-1 record to start their 2019-20 campaign, currently among the NHL’s worst teams. Their rough start has led fans and coaches alike searching for answers amid a difficult stretch.
In reality, there isn’t one solitary answer. There isn’t one over-arching explanation for the Sharks’ struggles through 15 games. Rather, the San Jose Sharks are simply a bad team right now, there’s no doubt about that.
But while their 5-on-5 play has been horrendous, their defense has struggled, and their offense can’t seem to find the back of the net, one theme has remained consistent over the past couple of years.
The Sharks goaltending is still a mess. Out of all the aspects of the team that have regressed this season, perhaps the least unlikely is the play of the Sharks’ goalies.
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Last season, the duo of Martin Jones and Aaron Dell were the weakest part of a Sharks team that very well could have advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals had it not been for some untimely late-season injuries.
But still, Jones and Dell could have held them back in the long run regardless.
This season, the duo has been even worse as they are statistically the worst pair of goaltenders to have each started five games in the NHL thus far. While there are other causes for their struggles apart from simply bad goaltending, it’s hard to argue that their play has been passable.
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With Jones, Sharks fans have grown accustomed to his frustrating play. Some games Jones will be a brick wall in net stopping 40+ shots en route to a dominant performance. Look no further than Game 6 of the Vegas Golden Knights playoff series for proof of his possible excellence.
But ultimately, the former Los Angeles Kings netminder has never been one for consistency.
As for Dell, the statistics and analytics prove that he’s just a below-average backup goalie. His .878 save percentage and 3.83 goals-against average this season are some of the worst metrics in the NHL and the worst numbers of his career.
Jones and Dell have both struggled, but at least Jones has his good games. Apart from one brilliant 35-save outing in Montreal, Dell has been a far below league-average goaltender.
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Meanwhile, the Sharks happen to have a young 21-year-old goalie prospect currently tearing it up in the AHL right now. San Jose Barracuda goaltender Josef Korenar is in the midst of a 158-minute, 58-second shutout streak down in the AHL.
The 2019 AHL All-Star has quickly risen through the ranks of San Jose’s farm system and is on track to make his NHL debut this season. And with the Sharks’ ever-persistent struggles, maybe that should come sooner rather than later.
The Sharks need a spark of optimism in the worst possible way and perhaps Korenar could provide that. Would he be a complete fix of the team’s problems? No, absolutely not.
And perhaps there is something to be said for not wanting to throw Korenar into the figurative fire with this lackluster defense. But once Radim Simek returns from injury, the hope is that the defensive output will improve.
Many of the Sharks’ problems at the moment appear to be mental. They’re falling behind early and making an abundance of boneheaded turnovers.
There is talent on this team but they need a spark. They need a cause to rally around.
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And perhaps adding a young goalie like Korenar into the mix could be just the thing to turn their season around.