There is big news out of Nashville as Predators goalie Yaroslav Askarov has requested a trade.
As reported over the weekend & backing up this report by @KevinWeekes word coming out of Nashville was Askarov did not want to play in the AHL this season. He felt he can be a starter in the NHL. Let the fireworks begin #preds @FullPressNHL @myNHLTradeRumor @RickyOtazu16 https://t.co/H3hPECR12T
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) August 19, 2024
As Full Press Hockey has reported via Predators reporter Ricky Otazu , Askarov did not want to return to the minors next season and believes he is more than ready to play in the NHL. Once the Predators and General Manager Barry Trotz signed Juuse Saros to an eight-year extension with an AAV of $7.74 million, the writing was on the wall that he chose Saros over Askarov.
Just leaving this here for a reference with the new report coming out about Askarov this morning.
Remember we here @FullPressNHL @myNHLTradeRumor and @RickyOtazu16 been on top of it from the start. #preds https://t.co/pET1rPCX3l
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) August 19, 2024
Trotz and the Predators wanted Askarov to develop in the minors. However, he would get every chance to compete for the backup role. But with the Predators signing Scott Wedgewood to back up Saros, where does that leave Askarov? He is back in the minors, a place he conquered with a 30-13-1 record with a 2.39 GAA and a .911 save percentage. One place he needs to find confidence in is the playoffs.
However, Askarov does not want to go through what Dustin Wolf went through in Calgary and Joey Daccord in Seattle. Going up and down or just sitting does not help your game.
Wolf is a player who spent a couple of years in the AHL and split time between both places. However, having a three-goalie system does not work, especially if one of the goalies is ready to back up. That is not good for a goalie’s development, either. They need to play. Just ask the Montreal Canadiens how that worked out.
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As Full Press Hockey reported in June, Askarov will now be available for trade. Despite Trotz saying he does not want to move him, teams were reaching out back about the young goalie. Teams asked about the young goaltender even during the 2024 NHL Draft, but a deal could not be worked out.
When Barry Trotz tried to extend Saros, he knew he did not want to be in the same position five years down the road trying to figure out who the goalie of the future was with both players on the roster. Saros had to wait a long time to get his chance to be a backup to Pekka Rinne.
The difference is that Yaroslav Askarov was picked 11th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. However, Trotz was not the general manager at the time. Hockey Hall of Fame GM David Poile made that selection. You have to wonder if that plays a role in choosing Saros over Askarov.
Even if a trade can’t be worked out, which is not likely now, the Predators will walk away from Askarov anyway. He was a free agent at the end of the season. He had signed for $850,000 with a performance bonus, making the cap hit $1.77 million.
With Yaroslav Askarov making his intentions known, the Predators must move him out before this gets ugly. Some teams out there need a goalie to grow with their young core. You have to wonder if the Philadelphia Flyers are satisfied with their goalies. What about the San Jose Sharks? There are others out there, like the Chicago Blackhawks.
This will be an interesting story to watch moving forward.
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