Thursday: The team has officially announced the three-year deal.
Wednesday: The New York Islanders have signed goaltender Jakub Skarek to a three-year, entry-level contract. Skarek himself announced the signing via Instagram. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known. The 18-year-old was the 72nd overall pick back in last month’s NHL Entry Draft.
Skarek spent last season with HC Dukla Jihlava of the Czech Extraliga where he posted a 2.41 GAA and a .913 SV% in 21 games. He also played in five games for the Czechs at the World Juniors but struggled considerably with a 5.19 GAA and a .848 SV%. Despite that, he was rated second among international goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting.
Despite the contract, New York fans shouldn’t expect to see Skarek in North America anytime soon. He has already been loaned to Pelicans of the Finnish SM-liiga on a two-year agreement that carries an option for the 2020-21 season. It’s likely that he will play out at least the first two years in Finland and then reassess his situation from there.
As Skarek is just 18, his contract will be able to slide for up to two years assuming he doesn’t play in ten or more NHL games as expected. Accordingly, while he may be signed now, this three-year contract may not expire until five seasons from now.
Plan the parade
I actually think the Islanders are signing all these ELCs to distract their fanbase from the reality that they are f**ked this year