Three Destinations Sharks Could Trade Kaapo Kahkonen
Kaapo Kahkonen has proven that he is a capable goalie at the NHL level. Your San Jose Sharks have taken an approach to leave everyone up for trade. Where could he end up?
By Conor Power
Right now, the goalie market around the NHL is a baron wasteland. There is no one on the block for most teams, and those that are available are not good enough to fill starting roles, and there is a lack of netminders available. With many teams struggling with netminding issues early in the season, the league is looking for more of a position where only one guy can go. It's a unique position.
This leads us to Kaapo Kahkonen. Kahkonen is an unrestricted free agent and a netminder who has been somewhat inconsistent for the Sharks. You obviously want to see him perform better than he has been, but he's in a situation where there is almost no one around to help him keep the puck out of his net. It means he's not the only one to blame for the poor performances from both netminders so far this season.
If we look around the NHL, there are several teams that could be interested in adding a goaltender because they are unhappy with the performances they are getting from their current tandem. It means that if San Jose cannot find a reason to keep Kahkonen around with the emergence of Eetu Makiniemi or Magnus Chrona, then maybe there is a reason to move the Finnish shot-stopper.
I mentioned teams could be looking for a goaltender, but where does it make sense for the Sharks to send him if they do decide to send him out of the Bay Area? As a pending UFA, you're not so worried about trading him to divisional rivals. If he re-signs, there's nothing you could really do. Teams across the league will be sniffing around, and it will be important for Sharks general manager Mike Grier to play his cards correctly. The market is there.