It came as no shock that Yaroslav Askarov has requested a trade from the Nashville Predators. Barry Trotz and the team sealed that fate when signing franchise goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year extension while the team is in win-now mode.
Kevin Weekes broke the news that Askarov has no plans on reporting to the Milwaukee Admirals if he doesn’t make the Predators out of training camp. This indicates the young goalie is willing to put his skills to the test and try to prove he deserves a spot in Nashville over Scott Wedgewood at the very least.
In response to the trade request, general manager Barry Trotz has said “We are aware of the report today and our expectation is for the player to report to training camp and compete for a job in September.”
There appears to be no urgency for Trotz to trade Askarov before training camp and he is going to get a good evaluation of the young goaltender before making any decision. Askarov thinks highly of himself if he is already making these kinds of demands at 22 years old with just three games of NHL experience and still on his entry-level deal.
Related: Askarov Requests Trade: Nashville Predators Have Small Window to Make a Deal
It’s not Trotz’s way to just throw away an asset like Askarov is without carefully assessing the situation and going through every option. While Askarov has put up a .911 SV% in each of the past two seasons in the AHL as the starter, it’s above average, but not elite. These numbers don’t immediately push him into the NHL by any means.
Teams have most definitely contacted Trotz and the Predators again after initial reports that many parties were making offers following the Saros signing.
It is a gamble to wait and not make a trade now due to the risk of Askarov not reporting to the AHL if he doesn’t make the Predators over Wedgewood. His value might drop and the Predators lose some leverage, but teams could also get desperate and make better offers as well.
Trotz clearly knows what he’s doing as he’s made great trades, signings, and moves since taking over as general manager of the Predators. He can’t win them all, but Nashville may end up on top with this one despite how it appears right now.
