The San Jose Sharks added another piece to their rebuild by acquiring Yaroslav Askarov in a trade from the Nashville Predators. The Sharks acquired Askarov, a third-round pick in 2025, and Nolan Burke in exchange for David Edstrom, a conditional 2025 first-round pick, and fellow goaltender Magnus Chrona.
Askarov played in three NHL games since moving to North America from Russia in 2022-23. He struggled in his debut that season but looked much better in two starts last season with a 1.47 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage. Askarov's potential has shone through in the American Hockey League, where he has a .911 save percentage and a 2.55 goals-against average over 92 games.
Askarov was supposed to be the Predators' next star goaltender in waiting. However, Barry Trotz decided to give Juuse Saros an eight-year contract this offseason, which led Askarov to ask for a trade from the organization. Askarov desired to join a team where he could be the starter, which he will have the chance to do in San Jose.
The Sharks wasted no time locking Askarov into the organization, signing him to a two-year deal worth $4 million. Askarov will play the 2024-25 season in the last year of his entry-level contract, meaning the Sharks will get the Russian netminder for at least three years. When combining Askarov's potential and the Sharks' depth in their prospect pool, it's safe to assume he will be there for the duration of San Jose's glory years.
Yaroslav Askarov was missing piece in Sharks' rebuild
The Sharks started their offseason on the right foot when they received the first-overall draft pick and selected Macklin Celebrini. Celebrini was the runaway favorite to be the top pick after winning the Hobey Baker Award with Boston University. The Canadian-born center had 32 goals and 32 assists in 38 games.
There were questions about whether Celebrini would return to college and wait to sign his entry-level deal. It would've made sense for the Sharks to push Celebrini's debut down the line and have three years of his entry-level deal when the team was close to competing. However, Celebrini signed his professional contract.
Celebrini wasn't the only college player to turn pro for the Sharks this offseason. They'll also have last season's first-round pick Will Smith joining the lineup after starring with Boston College. They join Sam Dickinson, Filip Bystedt, and Shakir Mukhamadullin as the Sharks' top prospects.
San Jose's front office knew that their rebuild was looking very successful. However, one glaring weakness in their depth was a starting goaltender. Chrona looked like the man to earn that role but the ceiling on his potential wasn't high. It was becoming increasingly clear that the Sharks would have to add from outside the organization, but finding a young goaltender on the market is difficult.
When the opportunity arose to acquire the 22-year-old netminder, it was too good for Mike Grier to pass up. Askarov's prime will align with the rest of the team, which could turn the Sharks into a force in five years. The prospect of having Celebrini, Smith, Dickinson, and Askarov in the prime of their careers would be a dream for the Sharks.
The Predators did what they could
A team rarely has any leverage when trading one of their goaltenders. It's a myth that teams can get good returns on goalies, as we saw earlier this season when the Boston Bruins traded Linus Ullmark and the Calgary Flames traded Jacob Markstrom. This was a different scenario as Askarov is a top prospect, so he earned the biggest return out of three of these trades.
The Predators now find themselves in a great spot for their roster build. They signed Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei and now have three first-round picks in the 2025 draft. Trotz could hold on to these first-round picks and improve their prospect pool, or use the picks to acquire elite talent at the trade deadline and make a Stanley Cup run.
It's impressive that the Predators were able to get what they could for Askarov. They backed themselves into a hole by signing Saros to the eight-year extension, as every team in the league knew they had no use for Askarov anymore. Another team could have easily waited and forced the Predators into a poor deal. However, the Sharks need to get credit for recognizing the need in their organization and stepping up to get this deal done.
David Edstrom is also no slouch in the return. The 2023 32nd overall pick will be a member of his third NHL organization after going to the Sharks in the Tomas Hertl trade this past season. Edstrom's stock is a bit lower after a difficult season in the Swedish Hockey League, but he could be a great player for the Predators.
San Jose Sharks Grade: A
Nashville Predators Grade: A
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