The The San Jose Sharks continue to struggle through a rough start one season after finishing last in the NHL standings in each of the last two seasons.

Following Saturday night’s setback at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks, they now sit at 3-8-2 through their first 13 games of the campaign. To make matters more difficult, they have been without top overall pick Macklin Celebrini since the first game of the season with an injury.

Once again, Sharks general manager Mike Grier has his work cut out for him as he tries to bring the franchise back to relevance. He has already ruled out a trade so far this season, acquiring defenseman Timothy Liljegren from the Toronto Maple Leafs. But there should be more things he considers when it comes to moving staff.

After finishing at the bottom of the NHL standings for two straight seasons, the Sharks have gone through several goaltenders, including James Reimer, MacKenzie Blackwood, Kaapo Kähkönen and Vitek Vanecek. Both Blackwood and Vanecek are currently under contract for this season, but neither appears to be a long-term solution for the rebuilding franchise. Vitek Vanecek

The The Sharks have acquired former Nashville Predators goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov in a preseason trade and signed him to a two-year extension. That said, it’s time to look to the future.

Yaroslav Askarov could be San Jose’s long-term solution in net

The Sharks need a franchise goaltender to help them return to the sustained success they enjoyed last decade. Askarov could fill that void, especially since the team isn’t tied to either Blackwood or Vanecek long-term.

Due to his strong numbers in the American Hockey League, Askarov was awarded “Goaltee of the Month” for October; he won all five of his starts, posting an impressive 1.20 goals-against average along with an equally impressive .959 save percentage.

The Sharks should trade either Vitek Vanecek or MacKenzie Blackwood

That being said, neither Blackwood nor Vanecek appear to be a long-term solution for the Sharks, and both are playing on expiring contracts. There are several NHL teams looking to add to their goaltending depth that could be willing to accept the expiring contract of any goaltender.

A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Blackwood was originally selected 42nd overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Devils, though he missed a lot of time with a groin injury the lower body.

Meanwhile, Vanecek has bounced around the NHL in recent years, going from the Washington Capitals to the Devils to the Sharks, all in three seasons. His numbers aren’t spectacular this season, currently sitting at 1-4 with a 3.65 goals-against average and .879 save percentage; though his poor numbers can largely be attributed to the struggling team in front of him.

The Sharks could offer Blackwood or Vanecek to teams like the Colorado Avalanche, who are known to be looking for help between the pipes. In fact, the Avalanche have been linked to Blackwood in recent weeks, especially given the struggles of starter Alexander Georgiev.

A sufficient trade would be to send Blackwood to Colorado, allowing him to take over the starting duties from Georgiev (on an expiring deal), while allowing Justus Annunen to get more seasoning in the AHL.