Last night the San Jose Sharks closed out the preseason with a 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. With heavy-hitting, full NHL lineups, a clearer idea of what the regular season might look like was formed. Although they won, the game was not the prettiest and very telling of what needs to be worked on. However, there were two players on the back end who stood out positively: Yaroslav Askarov and Michael Kesselring.
Last season, Askarov’s position was a bit unclear. With abysmal defense in front of him, it was nearly impossible to get an accurate gauge on him-or Alex Nedeljkovic for that matter. He split the season almost directly down the middle with Nedeljkovic, but their quality of play was hard to determine with most of the defensive responsibility falling onto their backs, not their defenders. In 47 games played, Askarov had a rough record of 21-20-4, save percentage of about 88%, and a goals against average of 3.63. These stats are pretty mediocre, but all things considered…it could have been worse.
Now with a slightly better defensive core in front of him, fans are starting to get a better idea of what the 24-year-old goaltender can do. Especially after last night, stock on Askarov has gone up. Last night’s game was kind of tough to watch, with the Sharks playing a very large chunk of the game in their own defensive zone. Vegas was firing everything they had at Askarov, who handled the pressure nicely. While support from his defenders certainly could’ve been better, Askarov was incredibly solid throughout the night. He even earned himself second star of the game with 27 saves and a save percentage of about 93%! He also clearly has been working on his positioning during the off-season, and the results are noticeable. However, the one criticism lies in his post awareness. His positioning has improved, but if he can be more aware of his posts and how to use them he can propel himself to new heights.
Also with a sneaky-good performance was Michael Kesselring. Kesselring came over to the Sharks via trade ahead of the draft: the Sharks traded the 20th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Kesselring and the 27th overall pick. Less than two weeks later, he signed a 3-year, $13.5 million contract. A great trade, and a reasonably priced contract, Kesselring entered the organization with positivity surrounding him. However, most of the positivity came from the quality of the trade and contract and not necessarily what he can bring to the team. This preseason, though, he showed he has immense value. Last night, in particular, he stood out by being hard on his opponents and on the puck. At many points during the night he was seen battling hard in front of the net, blocking shots, using his 6-foot-five inch frame to create ruckus and move the puck along, and decisively shooting. It’s clear now the Sharks got Kesselring for an absolute bargain.
The sky is the limit for the San Jose Sharks, and there is only room for improvement after last season. Although the team still has a long way to go until they can be true Stanley Cup contenders, they are more than likely on their way to at least earning a playoff spot. Only time will tell, but for right now it looks like the Sharks have made the right decisions regarding Askarov and Kesselring.
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