SAN JOSE – Kaapo Kahkonen can easily recall when he found out he had been traded from the Minnesota Wild to the San Jose Sharks.
“I was in the middle of a morning skate,” Kahkonen said of the March 21, 2022, deal. “I got pulled off the ice and told I was traded, jumped on a plane, and met these guys in Calgary that same night.
“I had no idea that was coming.”
Kahkonen won’t be blindsided if he’s dealt by the Sharks to a playoff-contending team between now and the NHL’s March 8 trade deadline. Not only is he a pending unrestricted free agent on the NHL’s last-place team, but he’s also having a bounce-back year, buoyed by a solid month of December in which he’s arguably been the Sharks’ top goalie.
“A little wiser this time around,” said Kahkonen, 27. “Obviously, understanding that my contract’s up and in this league, anything can happen.”
Going into Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks, Kahkonen is 3-2-1 in six games this month with a .914 save percentage, which ranks 15th out of 37 goalies who have played in at least five games in December.
Kahkonen’s goals saved above expected mark of 4.9, per moneypuck.com, is 13th in the NHL among goalies who have played 15 games this year. That’s a massive improvement for Kahkonen over last season’s total of -24.6, which ranked near the bottom of the league.
The bottom line is that Kahkonen is giving the Sharks a chance to win on a more regular basis. A year after he didn’t pick up his fifth win until the midway point of the season, Kahkonen, in his second year with Sharks goalie coach Thomas Speer, is 5-8-1 so far this season with a .899 save percentage.
“You get to know people a little better and develop, just like any relationship develops, and it’s been good this year,” Kahkonen said of being coached by Speer. “I’m pretty happy where my game is at right now. There are things that I want to improve on. Just trying to take steps every day.”
Kahkonen likes the direction the Sharks are going in and would be open to re-signing with the team, but isn’t aware of any contract extension talks taking place. He signed a two-year, $5.5 million deal with the Sharks in July of last year, just four months after he arrived in San Jose.
Bringing Kahkonen back on a short-term deal with a similar average annual value could make sense for the Sharks considering how inexperienced their minor league goalies are right now.
But the Sharks would presumably like to add more draft capital, and general manager Mike Grier will continue to make moves with the future in mind.
Teams that could be looking for an experienced goalie closer to the deadline include playoff hopefuls New Jersey, Edmonton, and Carolina. Depending on the market, Kahkonen could fetch an early-to-mid-round draft pick.
“I’m not reading rumors or thinking about getting traded but having gone through that once, I understand it a little better and you get a better sense of the actual business side of it,” Kahkonen said. “Everybody knows that anything can happen.
“Once it’s your turn to move, it’s a bit of a shock.”
ZADINA ENDS DROUGHT: With Alexander Barabanov unavailable, Filip Zadina on Thursday got an opportunity to play on the Sharks’ top line with Tomas Hertl and William Eklund and responded with his first goal since Nov. 9.
Early in the third period against Arizona, defenseman Mario Ferraro carried the puck toward the slot area before it found its way onto the stick of Zadina, who poked it past Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka for his fourth goal of the season.
That snapped Zadina’s 14-game goal drought and cut Arizona’s lead down to one with more than 19 minutes remaining.
“It definitely felt really good,” Zadina said of the goal.
The Sharks, though, couldn’t maintain the momentum and later allowed goals to Nick Schmaltz and Lawson Crouse in what became a 5-2 loss.
Still, Zadina took advantage of the opportunity and finished with a season-high six shots on net in just over 17 minutes of ice time.
“I loved his game,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “I thought he was real honest and did some good things defensively. That line was good and he was a big part of it. I’m really happy for him to get a reward with the goal.”
“He’s an important player for us,” Anthony Duclair said of Zadina. “He brings energy and speed. He’s got some skill; he’s got the right tools. I think it’s good for him. It’s good for the team.”
NOTES: Sharks forward Givani Smith left Thursday’s game in the second period with a lower-body injury, which took place on an open-ice hit by Coyotes defenseman Matt Dumba. The Sharks did not practice Friday and it was unknown whether Smith or Barabanov, who was ill Thursday, would be available to play against the Canucks.