New York Islanders sign prospect Jakub Skarek to a two-year deal

The New York Islanders have signed goaltender Jakub Skarek to a two-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 per season.

Skarek, 23, was originally drafted 72nd overall by the Islanders in 2018. He has spent the past four years in the American Hockey League with the Bridgeport Islanders, recording a 15-6-3 record with two shutouts and a .892 save percentage in 38 games last year.

The 2021-22 season was Skarek’s best season to date, recording a 16-15-5 record with a .896 save percentage. Through four campaigns, the Czech native has a 37-49-10 record with four shutouts and a .893 save percentage through 103 games played.

Skarek has mostly shared the net with long-time NHLer Cory Schneider, with the two swapping the bulk of the workload over the past two seasons. Before coming to North America, Skarek spent time with the Pelicans in the top Finnish league, and also was Czechia’s starting goalie at the 2018 World Junior Championship.

The Islanders have been busy signing goaltenders this summer, signing Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov to long-term contracts. The team has Skarek, Tristan Lennox and Ken Appleby signed to deals, with the three set to fight for playing time in Bridgeport for the time being.

Under GM Lou Lamoriello, the Islanders are $486,625 over the salary cap for 2023-24