The San Jose Sharks are "in the lead right now" to land KHL goalie Alexei Melnichuk, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun. However, no deal is done yet, and there reportedly remains tons of NHL interest in the 21-year-old netminder.
Melnichuk went 8-5-1 with a .930 save percentage and a 1.68 goals-against average with SKA Saint Petersburg in 2019-20. He was the youngest of SKA's three primary goalies and put up the best numbers of the trio.
Goaltending is a pressing organizational need for the Sharks. Starter Martin Jones is coming off his second straight abysmal season with a sub-.900 save percentage, but he's signed for four more years with a $5.75-million cap hit. With limited cap space, the Sharks can't splurge on a new puck-stopper. Backup Aaron Dell is a pending UFA.
Melnichuk would likely need some seasoning before contending for the starting gig, but the numbers indicate his potential.
One factor that could play into San Jose's ability to persuade Melnichuk to choose the Sharks is Evgeni Nabokov. The longtime NHL netminder is now the Sharks goalie coach. Not only is he a fellow Russian, but he also played for SKA during the 2010-11 season.
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