Yaroslav Askarov was disgruntled with his future outlook with the Nashville Predators, leading to him requesting a trade. He also informed the team that he wouldn’t report to their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, if he remains with the team at the end of training camp and is sent down.
When they extended star goaltender Juuse Saros and signed a quality backup in Scott Wedgewood, they essentially blocked the path for the elite goalie prospect from getting a full-time shot at the NHL, whether it be in a starting role or a backup role. Askarov is one of the best goalie prospects of his generation, logging two quality seasons in the AHL, and even had a .943 save percentage in brief NHL action this past season.
Now, the trade saga has officially come to a close as he, Nolan Burke, and a 2025 third round pick are headed to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for David Edstrom, Magnus Chrona, and the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2025 first round pick, which is top 10 protected. The Sharks have also subsequently signed Askarov to a two-year, $4 million contract extension where he will earn a $1.7 million salary with a $200k signing bonus in 2026, and a $2.1 million salary in 2027, for a cap hit of $2 million per year.
Nashville already used Askarov as trade bait twice, as he was put in play to acquire a top five pick in the 2023 and 2024 Drafts. He was one year away from reaching restricted free agency before the extension, though he is on the final year of his entry-level contract. San Jose is banking on his development to being a star goalie with the recent trade and sign.
Yaroslov Askarov’s Trade Request Development
Looking at this trade, it was not surprising that it happened that he wanted out of Nashville. His agent, Dan Milstein, said in an interview last month that he was “working with the club on different options” for his future, and Askarov feels that he is now an NHL-ready talent. Nashville’s signings this offseason indicate that the Predators are now going into a competitive window by signings Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei.
Askarov has been a hot commodity in the trade market in the past, with the Montreal Canadiens constantly being brought up as a trade destination. The Predators tried to trade him there to get the 5th overall pick, but the Habs didn’t show interest. Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau are the two active goalies on the Habs’ roster, and both are signed to one-way contracts this season. Had Askarov went to Montreal, he would have likely needed to wait in the minors, which is not what he wanted. Besides, the Habs already have a high-end goalie prospect in Jacob Fowler.
Predators general manager Barry Trotz sought out trade partners to deal Askarov for a while, but nothing fully materialized on that front last year and with this year’s Draft with Montreal. there were at least inquiries, and with the bulk of the free agency moves already done, that left much less room around the market for Askarov. That was until this trade happened.
San Jose Sharks Add Elite Goalie Prospect to Their Pool
This is a huge addition for a rebuilding Sharks organization that has everything in their prospect pool except a high-quality goaltender. Mike Grier has been building a young core that is primed for the future, with key pieces like Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Filip Bystedt, and Sam Dickinson. With Askarov in the mix now, the Sharks get a goaltender who has dominated the AHL in the last two seasons.
His rise to stardom didn’t happen in the blink of an eye. He was the highest ranked European goaltender in the 2020 Draft, and was the first one taken off the board at 11th overall with Nashville. In his rookie season in the AHL, he put up a 26-16-5 record with a 2.69 GAA and a .911 save percentage with the Milwaukee Admirals, putting him on the radar. Despite trade talks last offseason, he once again dominated the AHL in his sophomore season, with a 30-13-1 record in 44 games.
He won’t likely get starting minutes right away with the Sharks as they already have Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood as their 1A-1B tandem. However, Askarov has the tools to surpass the both of them, and it may not take long until he becomes the team’s undisputed starter, and he will have every opportunity to earn the full-time starting job. What also helps him is that he can learn from Evgeni Nabokov, the greatest goaltender in Sharks franchise history, who is now the director of goaltending for the organization.
Nashville’s Return Package
The return package for the Predators isn’t too shabby. Edstrom was originally drafted with the last pick of the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights, and stood out in the Swedish J20 league with Frolunda HC, making his way up to the main league, the SHL. He brings awareness on both sides of the ice, and if he develops into form, he should be a decent middle-six forward for the Preds in the future.
There’s also the chance that he doesn’t have the pedigree that Nashville originally was looking for when trading Askarov. Then again, they do have three picks for the 2025 Draft, and they were the winners of this year’s free agency class.
Chrona will likely be a third-string goaltender for Nashville, and will mostly start with the AHL’s Admirals. He manned the crease during the Denver Pioneers’ run to the 2022 national championship during that year’s Frozen Four tournament. During his senior year, he finished with a 22-9-0 record, and signed with the Sharks as a collegiate free agent, making his debut for the Sharks near the end of the season, where he had just one win in nine games played, with a .859 save percentage.
The first round pick that Nashville acquired was the same one that San Jose got when trading Tomas Hertl to the Golden Knights. The pick, however, will be top 10 protected, so if this pick falls inside the top 10 of the 2025 Draft, the Sharks will have to decide whether to send their first round pick or Vegas’ to the Predators.
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