Canadiens, Devils Nearly Landed Yaroslav Askarov

The San Jose Sharks weren't along in their quest to acquire the NHL's top goalie prospect.

Dec 30, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Nashville Predators goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) makes a save against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The San Jose Sharks recently drafted their star of the future with Macklin Celebrini, but they weren’t done adding impressive young talent this offseason. Not long after prospect goalie Yaroslav Askarov requested a trade from the Nashville Predators, the Sharks stepped in to swing a deal.

While the Sharks landed one of the top goalie prospects in the NHL, they weren’t alone in the Askarov sweepstakes. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, multiple teams were expressing interest in Askarov.

The exact number of teams was never specified, but Friedman did list the Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils as possibilities. Askarov would have been a welcomed addition to either of those franchises, especially considering the expectations being placed on the 22-year-old netminder.

Heard a lot of different possibilities over the last week — including Montreal and New Jersey — but it’s the Sharks that get him

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 23, 2024

The Canadiens have loads of young talent already with forwards like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and the recently acquired Patrik Laine. One of their weak spots as an organization is youthful goaltending that can be a backbone far into the future.

Askarov would have filled that role perfectly in Montreal. To play alongside other young netminders like Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau, the Canadiens could have been just a couple of seasons away from one of the strongest goalie tandems in the NHL.

The Devils on the other hand would have made a little less sense. They kicked off the offseason by trading for Jacob Markstrom to be their starting netminder, playing ahead of veteran Jake Allen.

While this certainly would have made the Devils a stronger team between the pipes, they are already in a similar situation the Predators faced when needing to trade Askarov. Two NHL-level netminders that would likely start the 2024-25 season ahead of him on the depth chart.

Part of Askarov’s request to Nashville was that he would not report to the American Hockey League if that’s where he was assigned. He believes he’s ready for the NHL and the Sharks are willing to give him that chance.

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