Yaroslav Askarov Requests Trade Away From Predators

Trey Daubert / NHL / August 19, 2024

Yaroslav Askarov Requests Trade Away From Predators

This was the dilemma the Predators were always facing when I wrote this post back in June. As soon as Nashville inked Juuse Saros to a massive extension, and then signed Scott Wedgewood in free agency, the writing was on the wall for Yaroslav Askarov. Nashville wanted to keep Askarov in the minors for another season but it appears that he’s going to try to force their hand.

The former 11th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft has requested a trade from Nashville. He’s also refusing to report to the AHL affiliate.

The news was first reported by Kevin Weekes at ESPN:

**Breaking News** 🚨 📰
I’m told that Top Goalie Prospect Askarov has informed the @PredsNHL that he will not report to their @TheAHL team, and has requested a trade. #HockeyX #Preds pic.twitter.com/EQFGs7FUJK
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) August 19, 2024

Askarov, 22, is waiver exempt this year and next year. Which lines up with Wedgewood’s contract. However, the Russian netminder is one year away from restricted free agency and is entering the final season of his entry-level contract that carries an AAV of $925K. If the Predators want to avoid what happened to the Oilers, they should be proactive here.

In 92 games down at the AHL level, Askarov has been dominant. Over a two year span, he’s posted a 2.55 GAA, .911 SV%, nine shutouts, and a 56-29-6 record. Pretty, pretty good! When you consider those numbers, it doesn’t feel like Askarov has anything left to prove at the minor league level and deserves a bigger crack at NHL minutes. He’s likely played his final game for the Milwaukee Admirals regardless of how this shakes out.