San Jose Sharks: Who Should Start in Goal This Season?

Devan Dubnyk

Devan Dubnyk’s path to success at the NHL level is one of hardships and failures. After trying to make a name for himself with the Edmonton Oilers for the first five years of his career, it seemed that he was never going to be a starter.

After making stops in Nashville and Montreal with the Predators and Canadiens respectively, he got a small chance to prove his worth with the Arizona Coyotes. Only playing 19 games, he started to receive some attention as he posted a 9-5-2 record, with a .916 VS% and a 2.72 GAA, his best stretch that calendar year.

The Minnesota Wild came calling at the 2014-15 Trade Deadline as they had goaltending issues of their own. Their best netminder Josh Harding was playing phenomenally, but sadly was diagnosed with MS, causing him to miss time and eventually deciding to hang the skates up.

A young Darcy Kuemper was struggling at the NHL level and veteran Nicklas Backstrom, the goaltender not the forward on Washington, was not getting any younger.

This was Dubnyk’s last chance to prove he had what it took to be a starter. And he answered the bell.

He single-handedly saved the Wild’s 2014-15 season, sneaking them into the second wild-card spot after posting a 27-9-2 record with a .936 Save Percentage and a 1.82 Goals Against Average, both career-highs. He came away with the Bill Masterton Trophy, which is awarded to the player that best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and a dedication to the sport of hockey. He saved 22.82% more goals than the average netminder that year, coming in third place for the Vezina Trophy.

His numbers took a step back once the postseason began, however, owning a 2.52 GAA with a .908 SV%, as the team made it to the Second-Round, before being swept in four games by the Chicago Blackhawks. But the way he put the team on his back cannot, and should not, be overlooked.

The team awarded the then 29-year old with a six-year deal, worth $26 million.  Over the next four years, Dubnyk was the staple in net for Minnesota, averaging a .918 SV%, with a GAA of 2.41. The team was Playoff bound the next two seasons, before failing to make it in 2018-19, his worst season in the State of Hockey up to that point, although Dubnyk was named to the All-Star team that year.

Things would get significantly worse, however.

This past season reminded us of the Devan Dubnyk from 2013, as he showed no signs of confidence in his game. He posted an .890 SV% and a 3.35 GAA with a 12-15-2 record, and was one of the worst goaltenders statistically.

It got so bad that backup Alex Stalock, who was playing quite well, was named the starter, playing the majority of games in the second-half of the 2019-20 regular season and all of the games inside The Bubble in Edmonton. With a new General Manager in place in Bill Guerin and a new Head Coach in Dean Evason behind the bench following the Bruce Boudreau firing in February, this team was looking to make necessary changes.

NHL Network reported that Dubnyk could in fact be on the move.

Could he still be a difference maker, or were his best days truly behind him?

The Sharks elected to take a chance given their issues with Jones. It only cost them a Fifth Round pick in 2022, as well as the one year remaining on his contract with $4.33 million cap hit.