San Jose Sharks: Future Alexei Melnichuk/Josef Korenar tandem could be lethal

After signing SKA Saint Petersburg goaltender Alexei Melnichuk, the San Jose Sharks could be ushering in a new era in net alongside Josef Korenar.

After another disappointing season for the San Jose Sharks goalie tandem of Martin Jones and Aaron Dell, it seems that general manager Doug Wilson could be eyeing a change in net.

Dell has been abysmal over the last two seasons, with a 3.09 GAA during that stretch. Between Jones and him, he will likely be the first one to go as Alexei Melnichuk is transitioned into the Sharks lineup.

Melnichuk will be a breath of fresh air coming off a season in the KHL where he posted an impressive 1.68 GAA along with a .930 SV%. While he will not post those numbers immediately in the NHL, fans should expect him to be an improvement.

Once he proves himself to be a reliable starter it will be time for Jones to be transitioned out of San Jose. Hopefully Wilson will be able to find a viable trade for the 30-year old goaltender.

It is worth mentioning that Jones had an impressive run last postseason, which included setting the franchise single-game record for saves. In a performance of a lifetime, he had 58 saves on 59 shots in a must-win Game 6 scenario against the Vegas Golden Knights.

However, last season Jones was nowhere near effective in net for a team that really could have used the help. He posted 3.00 GAA and .896 SV% over 41 games during the 2019-2020 season.

More from Golden Gate Sports

• Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
• 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
• Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
• 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
• 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve

Jones had to play behind one of the worst defenses in hockey, which definitely contributed to his poor performance last season. But over the last three years, he has been consistently inconsistent — it is time for a change.

Once both Dell and Jones are out of the picture it will be time for yet another “Cuda call-up”, this time being standout goalie Josef Korenar.

Korenar is currently one of the best prospects on the San Jose Barracuda, he has an .901 SV% over his last two seasons in the AHL. The young Czech also participated as an AHL All-Star during the 2019 season.

This is a bold transition for the Sharks to make but one that will be in the best interest of the team. If all goes well Melnichuk and Korenar could make one of the youngest and strongest tandems in the NHL.

Whether it be next season or a few seasons down the road, this is the best possible scenario for the Sharks moving forward.

For a team that finished third-worst in points this season, Team Teal could use all the help they can get. Making a transition to Melnichuk and Korenar will not solve every deficiency the Sharks have, but it is a pretty good way to start.

Korenar will provide excellent backup support at the NHL level, and Melnichuk could very well be the best goaltender the Sharks have had since Evgeni Nabokov.

Needless to say, the future in net for the San Jose Sharks is something that fans can be optimistic about.