Sharks General Manager Mike Grier has had a
tall task the past two seasons, trying to revive his team from the depths of
the NHL's standings basement. It's been tough sailing on the west coast the
past four seasons and a botched reset three seasons ago finally forced Grier's
hand into diving into a full scale rebuild. The moves Grier has made the last
24 months have been hit or miss, but the move to chasing the rebuild with a
youth movement got a big injection of adrenaline when the Sharks acquired
goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov on Friday.
Askarov is one of the
NHL's top prospects at the position, but when the Nashville Predators extended
goaltender Juuse Saros' contract to run through 2028 that essentially shut the
door on a starting job in Tennessee. Askarov asked to be traded and the
Predators capitulated by shipping him to San Jose.
San Jose gave up
Swedish prospect David Edstrom, goaltender Magnus Chrona and a 2025 1st round
draft pick. Edstrom and the draft pick were acquired from the Vegas Golden
Knights when San Jose shipped Tomas Hertl to Sin City last spring. In addition
to Askarov, the Sharks receive Nolan Burke and a 3rd round draft pick from the
Predators.
The move essentially cost the Sharks Hertl, a pair of 3rd
round picks and Chrona to land what may be a foundation piece in Askarov.
The goaltender won 30 of 44 decisions for the AHL
Milwaukee Admirals last season posting a 2.39 goals against average and a .911
save percentage.
San Jose has floundered to find the right man to
shore up the play between the pipes, but Askarov is 22 years-old so he fits
right into the Sharks youth movement. He was the 11th overall pick in 2020.
In terms of putting the right pieces together, this may turn out to be
the quiet blockbuster deal that sets the Sharks up for years. San Jose drafted
a young Russian goaltender in 1994 that set up their goaltending for the next 9
years. That pick was Evgeni Nabokov.
Askarov will get a chance to
crack the NHL roster when camp opens in September. San Jose has Mackenzie
Blackwood and Vitek Vanacek under contract through the end of the 2024-25
season.
After aquiring the young Russian, San Jose signed him to a
2-year extension worth $2 million per year, which runs through the 2026-27 NHL
season.
Player Profile:
Yaroslav Askarov
