The Sharks recalled goalie Jakub Skarek from the Barracuda, their AHL affiliate, on an emergency basis Thursday as Alex Nedeljkovic tends to a personal matter in San Jose.
Nedeljkovic was expected to get the start against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, but, per the Sharks, a personal matter came up shortly before the game. Yaroslav Askarov started for the third time in four games instead, with Nedeljkovic sitting on the bench during what became a 2-1 win for the Sharks in overtime.
Nedeljkovic left the Sharks after the game and returned to San Jose. He has since been granted non-roster status, creating a spot on the Sharks’ 23-man roster for Skarek.
It was not immediately known how long Nedeljkovic would be away from the team. Askarov will likely get the start for the Sharks on Thursday as they play the Calgary Flames on the second stop on a three-game road trip that ends Saturday in Seattle.
Nedeljkovic, 29, was acquired by the Sharks from the Pittsburgh Penguins in July for a 2028 third-round draft pick.
In seven starts this season, Nedeljkovic had a 3-2-2 record with a .906 save percentage. He was playing his best hockey of the season over the last two weeks, going 2-0-1 with a .948 save percentage.
Skarek, who turned 26 on Monday, was signed as a free agent by the Sharks in July to a one-year, $775,000 contract after spending the previous six seasons in the New York Islanders organization.
In six starts this season with the Barracuda, Skarek has a 4-2-0 record and an .875 save percentage. He is coming off a 27-save shutout on Tuesday when the Barracuda beat the Abbotsford Canucks 7-0.
Skarek has appeared in two NHL games, both of which occurred in February. In his one start with the Islanders, Skarek stopped 27 of 32 shots in a 6-3 loss to the Florida Panthers.
Please check back for updates to this story.