Vanecek is expected to be sidelined for 2-3 weeks due to an upper-body injury, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports Wednesday.
The exact nature of Vanecek's injury wasn't specified by head coach Ryan Warsofsky, but it certainly appears to be serious after the netminder was hit in the head by a puck while on the bench Tuesday. Since the 28-year-old will be out longer term, Yaroslav Askarov will get the opportunity to compete for starts alongside Alexandar Georgiev. While not on injured reserve yet, fantasy managers can likely expect Vanecek to be designated as such in the coming days given his recovery timeline.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Injured while on bench
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Vanecek was hit in the head by an errant puck while sitting on the bench during Tuesday's tilt versus the Jets and won't be available for the remainder of the game, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Vanecek was sitting in the backup goalie's spot on the bench when he was struck. For now, the 28-year-old netminder can be considered day-to-day, though if he's forced to miss time, Yaroslav Askarov would likely be recalled from AHL San Jose to split time with Alexandar Georgiev. More information on Vanecek's status should be available prior to Thursday's game against the Avalanche.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Surrenders four goals in loss
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Vanecek stopped 36 of 40 shots in Saturday's 4-3 loss to Utah.
Vanecek took his third straight loss, allowing 12 goals in that span. He also gave up five goals in his last win Nov. 29 versus the Kraken. Vanecek nearly got this one to overtime, but a Clayton Keller power-play tally in the final minute of the third period decided the result. The 28-year-old Vanecek is now 3-8-1 with a 3.84 GAA and an .885 save percentage through 14 appearances this season. He'll likely compete with Alexandar Georgiev for playing time moving forward. The Sharks' next five games are all against teams currently occupying playoff spots in the Western Conference, so it may be better for fantasy managers to steer away from Vanecek for a while.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Starting Saturday
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Vanecek will be between the home pipes versus Utah on Saturday, according to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.
Vanecek is skating on thin ice as he has lost his last two starts, allowing eight goals on 40 shots. He improved in Carolina on Tuesday, giving up three goals on 28 shots, but the 28-year-old has floundered all season, going 3-7-1 with a 3.83 GAA and an .883 save percentage. Utah is averaging 3.00 goals per game in 2024-25.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Lead slips away late
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Vanecek made 25 saves in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Hurricanes.
The Sharks took a 2-1 lead into the third period as Vanecek made some big stops early, but after Brent Burns tied it up on a tic-tac-toe passing play early in the third, the netminder couldn't find a knuckling shot that Jalen Chatfield fired through traffic with less than three minutes to go. It's not yet clear how San Jose will divvy up the workload in the crease between Vanecek and Alexandar Georgiev, but neither veteran should get too comfortable since Yaroslav Askarov is still waiting in the wings in the AHL. On the season, Vanecek carries a 3-7-1 record in 13 appearances with a 3.83 GAA and .883 save percentage.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Guarding crease Tuesday
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Vanecek will defend the road net against Carolina on Tuesday, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.
Vanecek has surrendered 10 goals on 43 shots in his last two outings en route to a 1-1-0 record. He has posted a mark of 3-6-1 with a 3.89 GAA and an .883 save percentage in 12 appearances this season. Carolina sits fourth in the league with 3.74 goals per game in 2024-25. After being acquired from Colorado on Monday, Alexandar Georgiev will be the backup netminder and could get his first San Jose start in Thursday's road game versus St. Louis.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Mercy pull after one period
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Vanecek surrendered five goals on 12 shots in the first period of Thursday's game against Tampa Bay and was replaced by Mackenzie Blackwood to start the second period.
The Lightning struck five times in the first, including three goals in a span of 1:26. It was a mercy pull for Vanecek. His team was awful, and he also struggled mightily. Vanecek came into the game with just three wins, along with a 3.52 GAA and .894 save percentage. He could begin to see a decline in starts given Blackwood's superior numbers.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: First off ice Thursday
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Vanecek was the first goaltender off the ice during morning skate and is slated to patrol the visiting crease in Tampa Bay on Thursday, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.
Vanecek has not been effective between the pipes this season, as he is 3-5-1 with a 3.52 GAA and an .894 save percentage. He is currently the backup to Mackenzie Blackwood on the Sharks depth chart, and Vanecek's job could be in peril, as the Sharks' goaltender of the future, Yaroslav Askarov, is making a case for a spot on the NHL roster given his 7-3-1 record with a 1.91 GAA and a .940 save percentage at AHL San Jose. Vanecek will take on the Lightning, who are second in NHL scoring, averaging 3.74 goals per game.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Rare win for toothless team
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Vanecek made 26 saves in an 8-5 win over Kraken on Friday.
Vanecek has a 3-5-1 record with a 3.52 GAA and an .894 save percentage through 11 appearances, making him an unreliable fantasy option. Still, he has won three of his last six starts.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Starting Friday
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Vanecek will defend the home crease versus Seattle on Friday, Max Miller of NHL.com reports.
Vanecek last played Nov. 16 when he allowed two goals on 10 shots in the first period before he was pulled before the start of the second frame, due to an upper-body injury. The netminder is struggling this season as he is 2-5-1 with a 3.36 GAA and an .899 save percentage. He will face the Kraken, who are tied for 22nd in NHL scoring with 63 goals.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Backing up Saturday
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Vanecek (upper body) will be the backup goaltender versus Buffalo on Saturday, per Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News.
Vanecek did not dress Thursday in St. Louis due to the injury, which led to Yaroslav Askarov making his San Jose debut. Vanecek is 2-5-1 with a 3.36 GAA and an .899 save percentage. Mackenzie Blackwood will get the start against the Sabres, and Askarov is projected to be a healthy scratch.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Not playing Thursday
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Vanecek (upper body) will not dress Thursday in St. Louis, Max Miller of The Hockey News reports.
Yaroslav Askarov will make his San Jose debut Thursday, while Mackenzie Blackwood will be the backup. Vanecek is in danger of losing his spot on the roster if Askarov is able to excel at the NHL level. Vanecek is 2-5-1 with a 3.36 GAA and an .899 save percentage in 10 games this season.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Traveling, but out Wednesday
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Vanecek won't dress for Wednesday's road game in Dallas, but he is traveling with the Sharks, per Max Miller of NHL.com.
Vanecek has a 2-5-1 record, 3.36 GAA and .899 save percentage in 10 appearances in 2024-25. He might still be an option for Thursday's tilt in St. Louis given that he's with the team, but in the meantime, Yaroslav Askarov is set to back up Mackenzie Blackwood versus the Stars.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Dealing with upper-body issue
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Vanecek sustained an upper-body injury and remains day-to-day, ruling him out against Detroit on Monday, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
With Vanecek on the shelf, the team called up Yaroslav Askarov to serve as the backup to Mackenzie Blackwood in Monday's matchup with Detroit. At this time, it's unclear if Vanecek will travel for the team's upcoming two-game road trip -- if he doesn't, Blackwood and Askarov would likely split the back-to-back.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Suffers injury Saturday
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Vanecek (undisclosed) is questionable to return to Saturday's game versus the Penguins.
Vanecek allowed two goals on nine shots and didn't return for the second period. Mackenzie Blackwood will likely finish off the contest. If Vanecek misses additional time, Yaroslav Askarov could be called up from AHL San Jose.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: First off ice Saturday
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Vanecek was the first goaltender off the ice at morning practice and is slated to get the road start in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Max Miller of NHL.com reports.
Vanecek has faced 123 shots in his last three games, allowing only eight goals while going 1-1-1. Overall, the netminder is 2-5-1 with a 3.26 GAA and a .903 save percentage this season. Pittsburgh has struggled this season en route to a 6-10-3 start and ranks 23rd with 2.68 goals per game.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Falls to Philly in shootout
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Vanecek made 40 saves in regulation and overtime and stopped one of three shootout attempts in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Flyers.
The Sharks were staring at a 3-0 deficit early in the second period after Vanecek gave up a breakaway goal to Matvei Michkov, but the veteran netminder kept his focus and gave his team a chance to mount a comeback with some big stops down the stretch -- Philadelphia out-shot San Jose 16-7 in the third period alone. The Sharks' defense remains a problem, and Vanecek has faced 40 or more shots in three of his last five starts, going 2-2-1 during that time with a .912 save percentage but only a 3.33 GAA.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Tending twine Monday
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Vanecek will serve as the starting goaltender for Monday's road matchup against Philadelphia, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.
Vanecek has been inconsistent over his last two starts, as he turned aside 49 of 50 shots (.980 save percentage) to earn a win over Columbus at home Tuesday before allowing four goals on 30 shots (.867 save percentage) in a home loss to Minnesota on Thursday. However, he'll be between the pipes for the third time in the Sharks' last four games, and he'll attempt to turn things around against the Flyers, who have averaged just 2.53 goals per game to begin the season.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Yields four goals in loss
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Vanecek allowed four goals on 30 shots in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Wild. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.
Vanecek was rewarded with a second straight start after a 49-save effort in an overtime win against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, but he couldn't replicate his heroics. This was the first time Vanecek has started consecutive games this season, something Mackenzie Blackwood has done on two occasions. That signals Vanecek is still in the backup role, though both goalies should have plenty of playing time in 2024-25. Vanecek is at a 2-5-0 record with a 3.32 GAA and an .898 save percentage over eight appearances (seven starts). The Sharks begin a four-game road trip back east with a visit to the Devils on Sunday, followed by a game in Philadelphia on Monday -- that should allow both goalies to get a start over the next two contests.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Starting against Minnesota
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Vanecek was the first goalie off Thursday, Max Miller of NHL.com reports, indicating that he'll draw the start at home against the Wild.
Vanecek was busy during Tuesday's home matchup against Columbus, turning aside 49 of 50 shots (.980 save percentage) en route to the 2-1 victory. He'll have a chance to keep his momentum going against the Wild, who have scored just three goals over their last two games.
