Frontrunners to land prize elite goaltender Yaroslav Askarov have emerged
Recent reports have added more context to the Yaroslav Askarov trade speculation, including potential landing spots for him.
The Nashville Predators have been very active this offseason, signing stars like Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei, and extending star goalie Juuse Saros.
Not sure of the exact AAV, but apparently in the 7s. Clearly, Saros wanted to stay.
All these moves have improved the Predators' immediate future but might have pushed one of their future stars, Yaroslav Askarov, to seek a trade.
Since Juuse Saros' extension was made official, there have been reports that Yaroslav Askarov is unhappy and believes he deserves an NHL shot that he won't get now.
With Nashville's willingness to move Askarov, speculation has begun about potential landing spots. According to Ryan Dixon of Sportsnet, the San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, and Columbus Blue Jackets are teams to watch. The Blue Jackets might include former top-10 pick Kent Johnson in a trade.
The Carolina Hurricanes might also be interested in trading for Askarov, potentially offering Martin Necas in return.
The San Jose Sharks, looking to accelerate their rebuild, also have several future assets to offer in pursuit of Askarov.
San Jose also has Vegas' 2025 first-round pick already in its backpocket, so it could dangle that selection while still hanging onto its own pick to try and get yet another prime prospect in the 2025 draft.
Another team showing interest is the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The former 11th overall pick had a .943 save percentage in two NHL games last season, and a .911 in 44 AHL appearances.
Can Brad Treliving pull it off?
The race to acquire Yaroslav Askarov remains wide open. He could be dealt to any of these teams, or the Predators might decide to keep him until he forces their hand. We will continue to provide updates as the situation develops.
Source: House of HockeyYaroslav Askarov likely traded to three potential teams
| POLL | ||
19 JUILLET | 85 ANSWERS Frontrunners to land prize elite goaltender Yaroslav Askarov have emerged Would you want your favorite team to trade with the Nashville Predators for Yaroslav Askarov? | ||
| Yes | 44 | 51.8 % |
| No | 41 | 48.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
