According to NHL insider Kevin Weekes, highly touted goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov has no intention of reporting to the Nashville Predators’ AHL affiliate this season and has therefore requested a trade.
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Since then, Predators GM Barry Trotz has issued a statement reporting he expects Askarov to report for training camp in September and compete for a job. Reading between the lines, it’s not a given Askarov would have to report to the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL. Should he beat out the competition (Juuse Saros, Scott Wedgewood and Matthew Murray) and earn a spot in the NHL, there would be no need to trade him.
The Crowded Crease in Nashville
Of course, nobody is stealing Saros’ job as the Preds’ number one in net, that much is obvious. However, Trotz went out this Summer and signed UFA Wedgewood to a two-year contract and Murray (not to be confused with Matt Murray, he’s a 26 year old product of the Dallas Stars organization) to a one year contract, bringing two more goalies into the fold.
Those signings make it easy to understand where the 22 year old Askarov is coming from. He’s on the last year of his entry-level contract and can still be sent to the AHL without going through waivers.
Enter Kent Hughes?
In the event Trotz ends up having to trade the disgruntled goalie, should the Montreal Canadiens and Kent Hughes be ready to pounce? The answer there has to be, maybe. Once upon a time, the state of affairs in the Habs net was a bit of a cause for concern, but now with Samuel Montembeault signed for three more years, Cayden Primeau being in the final year of his three-year deal and Jacob Fowler having an impressive first year in the NCAA, it’s no longer a pressing issue.
Primeau is just about to start his first year as the teams de facto number two goaltender and he has finally showed he can handle NHL action. As for Fowler, he was drafted in the third-round of the 2023 draft (69th overall) by the Canadiens and looks like he has a very bright future ahead of himself.
Askarov was picked 11th overall at the 2020 draft and has since turned pro. He’s got two full years of AHL action under his belt and in both of those seasons, he has a .911 save percentage. He’s also played three games in the NHL and has a 2.57 goal-against average and a .943 SP to show for it.
Those are very good numbers, although from a limited sample. Unlike Fowler though, Askarov has already turned pro and is further along in his development. Is that alone enough to make Hughes engage in discussion? Perhaps, it’s hard to see the Canadiens’ GM not exploring every option. But the truth of the matter is, if Askarov does become available, there will be plenty of suitors.
Nashville will want a solid return. Perhaps Fowler and other pieces, Montreal has draft picks to spare for the upcoming draft. After all, they have 12 and the Canadiens’ reserve list is already very crowded. There’s only so many contracts that an organization can sign. However, I’m not convinced a goalie plus picks would be enough and using NHLers/prospects to fill a need that isn’t really one doesn’t make much sense.
Unless for some reason Trotz feels like making Hughes a gift (as a sorry for signing Marchessault maybe, who knows?) it’s hard to imagine the Canadiens offering the best package for the young goaltender.
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