The San Jose Sharks have been asking what Connor Hellebuyck would cost. They did it the same week Yaroslav Askarov opened the season in their crease.
David Pagnotta put it out there Wednesday, naming San Jose as the goaltending situation he's most curious about. The Sharks have been tied to Winnipeg's starter and poked around just to see the price tag.
Pagnotta framed it as information collection for the time being. But general managers don't call around about a netminder by accident, and Mike Grier knows what that kind of call signals.
It's like walking onto a dealership lot to check the sticker on a car you swear you're not buying. Everybody on the lot knows why you showed up.
The sticker here reads $8,500,000 against the cap. Among goaltenders, only Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy carry a bigger number, and Thatcher Demko matches it.
The timing is awkward for Askarov. He stopped 23 of 26 shots Thursday night as the Sharks edged the Florida Panthers in overtime.
Yaroslav Askarov opens the season with a target on his crease
That works out to an .885 save percentage on opening night. A win is a win, but nobody in that locker room is mistaking it for a statement from the 24-year-old.
Askarov carries a $2,000,000 cap hit. Alex Nedeljkovic, who never saw the ice Thursday, sits at $3,000,000, so the Sharks are paying their backup more than their opening night starter.
The skaters gave Ryan Warsofsky plenty to like. Macklin Celebrini piled up three assists and seven shots on goal.
Will Smith scored twice, once on the power play and once shorthanded. Luca Cagnoni buried the winner, so the young core is already cashing in on special teams.
Which is exactly why the Hellebuyck chatter lands the way it does. A team with Celebrini on a $975,000 cap hit has a window where a big goalie number actually fits.
Grier hasn't been shy about spending on the blue line either. Darnell Nurse counts $9,250,000 against the cap, and Jacob Trouba sits at $8,250,000.
Still, paying a franchise-level ransom for a goalie with Askarov one start into his season would be a bad trade for San Jose. Kick the tires all October, just don't sign anything yet.
In Winnipeg, Scott Arniel's Jets open their regular season tonight at home against the Boston Bruins. Kevin Cheveldayoff now hears Hellebuyck's name in trade chatter before game one.
The two clubs don't meet until Dec. 28 in Winnipeg, with a return visit to San Jose on Feb. 15. That's a long runway for a rumour to simmer.
The Sharks host the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, then hit the road for Dallas. If Askarov stumbles on that stretch, how long does an information-gathering call stay just a call?
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Should the Sharks trade for Connor Hellebuyck instead of riding Yaroslav Askarov?
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