Defenseman Jack Thompson will remain on the San Jose Sharks roster after initially being reassigned to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. The team has recalled Thompson while sending goaltender Yaroslav Askarov back to the AHL.
In his second year with the Sharks, Thompson has proven to be a valuable defenseman, recording two goals and five points in 13 games with an average of 15:55 ice time per game. He ranks third among the team’s defensemen with a 46.6% CorsiFor% at even strength and leads in on-ice save percentage at 92.7% across all situations. Although he might not be listed among the top prospects for San Jose, he is developing into a reliable two-way defenseman, and his ice time could increase to around 18 minutes per game if the Sharks part ways with unrestricted free agents Cody Ceci and Jan Rutta by season’s end.
While Thompson’s contributions are noteworthy, the main focus of this transaction is Askarov. He is the top goaltending prospect in the Sharks system and one of the best in the league.
San Jose acquired Askarov during the offseason, trading a package that included Vegas’ first-round pick in 2025 and 2023 first-rounder David Edstrom. Askarov made his Sharks debut on November 21 due to an injury to Vitek Vanecek, and he excelled in two starts, finishing with a 1-0-1 record, a .927 save percentage, and a 1.96 goals against average. The Sharks plan to give Askarov more development time in the AHL, where he holds a 6-3-0 record this season alongside a .939 SV% and a 1.92 GAA. The team likely aims to promote him to full-time NHL duties closer to the 2025 trade deadline after potentially trading Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood.
