When the 2020 NHL Draft was happening, every fanbase without an answer in net was clamoring on social media for Russian netminder Yaroslav Askarov and Carolina Hurricanes fans were no exception.
Askarov, who was highly touted, ended up going 11th overall to the Nashville Predators much to the chagrin of those same Canes fans, but as consolation, they took Seth Jarvis so I’d say it all worked out pretty well.
But things haven’t worked out so well for Nashville as it was reported earlier in the week by Kevin Weekes that Askarov has asked for a trade and reportedly will refuse to report to the AHL if assigned there.
Crazy how already having an established, young, number-one netminder (Juuse Saros) blocking the crease wouldn’t have gone over well for the best goaltending prospect in hockey, but I digress.
So, would acquiring 22-year-old Askarov be a good move for the Hurricanes to make?
On the surface, yes because anytime you can acquire a good player or top-end prospect, you should try to.
This is probably the final year in Raleigh for Frederik Andersen, 34, and while the Hurricanes do have Pyotr Kochetkov, 25, signed for four more seasons goalies are unpredictable.
Having another potential answer in net, especially with the team lacking high-end goalie prospects, would make the most sense for Carolina.
The biggest hurdle though as everyone knows will be the cost.
Top-end goalies are perhaps the hardest things to acquire in the NHL and so having the top goalie prospect is a pretty good chip to have, however this latest situation may lead to a decrease in value if teams know Askarov wants out and is willing to sit out too.
While Barry Trotz has been around the game for a long time, he’s still a fairly fresh general manager and this is a case of him having potentially overplaying his hand.
He’s been very outspoken about how he doesn’t feel rushed to make a move on Askarov, and even responded to the rumors saying he expects the Russian goaltender to report to camp, but who’s bluffing out who here will be the real question come September.
The Hurricanes have a lot of picks and prospects that they can package together, but Nashville seems to be in win-now mode with the offseason moves they have made.
A deal may be hard to come by, but there’s no reason why the Hurricanes shouldn’t at least put their hat in the ring.
