Report: Sharks Beat Out Multiple Teams for Top Prospect

The San Jose Sharks reportedly had to beat out four other teams to acquire their new top goaltending 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-Imagn Images / Brad Mills-Imagn Images

The San Jose Sharks have had themselves a tidy offseason. Drafting Macklin Celebrini with the first overall pick gives them an instant top of the lineup player. They went and acquired a veteran defenseman in Cody Ceci to stabilize their blue line for the beginning of the season and giving them another trade chip down the line. And, to top it all off, general manager Mike Grier pulled off a surprising trade that landed them goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov from the Nashville Predators.

For the Sharks, they now have their franchise goaltender in Askarov. It was a huge move, one that could help stabilize the organization for years to come. But according to NHL insider and The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, they had steep competition in the trade market. Writing in a recent article, he shared the four other teams that had offers submitted to the Predators.

"The San Jose Sharks beat out trade offers from four other main competitors to get Yaroslav Askarov last month," he wrote. "The Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche, and Philadelphia Flyers."

None of these teams are a surprise, but it is confirmation that they were all in on Askarov. The Flyers have a need for a long-term starter in net, so it made sense that they could be a fit. Similarly, it was previously reported that the Habs, Canes, and Avalanche all showed interest in the young netminder.

LeBrun was unable to confirm any specific offers from those other teams, but it's fair to assume they didn't match up to the one the Sharks were willing to give up. They parted with center prospect David Edstrom and a first-round pick, so the Predators at least receive excellent, if not totally fair, compensation for their top prospect.

And it seems the Sharks' consistency paid off in the end. LeBrun spoke with Predators' GM Barry Trotz about the recent trade ordeal, and he made it clear that Grier and the Sharks were interested from beginning to end.

"Mike (Grier) was very consistent," Trotz said. "I got lots of inquiries from lots of different teams. Some of them had offers that weren't very sincere."

Luckily, the Sharks' offer was since enough to get the deal done. Askarov isn't penciled in as the starter just yet, but he has an incredible chance to be on the NHL roster in San Jose to begin the year. And hopefully, he will become the starting goaltender the team envisions him to be. That would certainly make the trade sweepstakes for Askarov worth it for the Sharks.

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