May 3: The Sharks have made the signing official, confirming the two-year length. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
May 2: It appears the San Jose Sharks are making an early splash in the undrafted free-agent market. Per a report from Russian outlet Sport Express, the Sharks have signed goaltender Georgi Romanov to a two-year entry-level contract.
Romanov, 23, certainly has the size NHL teams desire. At 6-foot-5 and 207 pounds, there are few netminders who fill out the crease more than Romanov.
Developed in the Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg system, Romanov has been the starter for consecutive seasons for Gornyak-UGMK, Yekaterinburg’s affiliate in the Russian minors (VHL). While his save percentages have dipped slightly since, Romanov had marks of at least .930 in the VHL and juniors (MHL) between 2019 and 2021.
While the Sharks have both James Reimer and Aaron Dell as free agents this summer, they still boast solid organizational depth for goaltenders, at least among prospects. Romanov would become the fourth goalie under the age of 25 signed to an NHL contract by San Jose, with two other drafted prospects under the age of 21. It leaves 26-year-old Kaapo Kähkönen as the resident veteran in the San Jose crease, a position they’re expected to fill out more in free agency unless they opt for an untested youngster in the backup role to an inconsistent Kähkönen.
Assuming the report relayed by Sport Express from Romanov’s agent is true, he would become a restricted free agent in 2025.
I am hereby announcing a moratorium on Russian goaltenders in the NHL, mostly because I can’t keep track of them anymore. I couldn’t keep Varlamov & Samsonov straight when they were in Washington, and I didn’t do a great job differentiating between Georgiev and Shesterkin in NYR.
VHL and 23 years old, with only few KHL games?…. Hmmm, not following Greer’s logic there…