San Jose Sharks Report Cards: Between the Pipes
Aaron Dell
Grade: C+
Aaron Dell did not provide the solid backup netminding that the San Jose Sharks needed during their rough patches of the season. Dell delivered on the back-to-back occasions, but his numbers were sub-par with a 3.17 GAA and a .886 save percentage in 25 games.
Often, Dell had to relieve Jones on different occasions but could not provide an immediate spark when nights spiraled into chaos. Dell had trouble facing routines shots without any screens or defenders blocking his vision.
Prior to the trade deadline, rumors swirled around Dell with the San Jose Barracuda defending exceptionally well in the crease with Antoine Bibeau and Josef Korenar.
With the Sharks relying heavily on offense, Dell’s name was on the board as a potential trade piece to acquire another goaltender in return. Jimmy Howard and Ryan Miller were likely candidates to join Team Teal at February 25th deadline, but general manager Doug Wilson opted to bolster his offense for Detroit’s Gus Nyquist.
Keeping Dell was the right move as trading or calling up a goalie would have added pressure to Jones, who in the end, found his strong-suited postseason form to readily contend with the likes of the Golden Knights, Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues.
Dell’s best performance of the year came against the Blues. Dell recorded his first shutout of the season on November 17, 2018 in a 30-save effort at SAP Center.
Maybe Dell could have earned a crack against the Blues in the postseason, but Jones was the hot right-hand man while Dell kept the bench warm for their playoff run.
His next start five days later at home, Dell put up another zero on the visitor’s side, blanking a young and hungry Vancouver Canucks squad in the 4-0 win.
There were a few delightful spots for Dell, but the murky water was difficult to navigate the remainder of the journey. After signing a two-year deal, Dell will have to prove he’s worthy to hold his back-up position for next season as two up-and-ready goaltenders in the farm system are swimming right behind Dell to snatch it.
Team Teal appears to be heading into next season with these two netminders on the bench but things can change. It’ll be interesting to see if the San Jose Sharks make any tweaks to the coaching or personal in between the pipes in order to keep them in contention for the Stanley Cup.