The Nashville Predators traded Yaroslav Askarov to the San Jose Sharks a few days ago. This move came after Askarov requested a trade out of Nashville just days before the move. General manager Barry Trotz has a high opinion of the young goalie. But he also had a brutally honest assessment of the former top-15 pick.

Trotz provided his thoughts on the deal when speaking with The Athletic recently. He mentioned his belief that Askarov will one day be an elite goaltender in the NHL. However, Askarov needs to learn a few lessons, in Trotz's view, before he reaches his full potential.

“Asky is going to be an excellent goaltender because he’s got unbelievable athletic skills and he’s got a very confident personality — all that,” Trotz told The Athletic. “But if you talk to elite goaltenders, they won’t talk about elite physical attributes. They’ll talk about elite mentalities and elite mindsets and elite preparation and stuff like that. And I’m not quite sure that he’s there yet.”

Barry Trotz discusses Yaroslav Askarov trade

Nashville Predators goalie Yaroslav Askarov (30) against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period at Bell Centre.
David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

Barry Trotz continued discussing the Yaroslav Askarov trade with The Athletic. The Predators general manager reaffirmed his belief in the potential of his former top prospect. He especially believes Askarov can figure things out once he gains more consistency and experience.

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Trotz also mentioned wanting to bring the young goalie along slowly. He pointed out that the youngest backups in the league were around 23 and 24 years old. Starters, meanwhile, are usually in their late 20s and in their 30s. However, Askarov wanted to go in a different direction, which contributed to the signing of veteran Scott Wedgewood in free agency.

“Apparently Asky felt there needed to be a clear path to No. 1,” Trotz said, via The Athletic. “I just wanted to develop him correctly, making sure that he got a lot of games. I didn’t know where that was going to go. So I wanted to make sure that I had a goaltender in hand if Asky decided he wanted to go in a different direction.”

Askarov has not received a ton of game time in the NHL. In fact, he has just three games under his belt in this league. He played two of those games during the 2023-24 season. The young netminder played to an impressive .943 save percentage in those games.

Whether moving Askarov was right for both sides remains to be seen. In any event, the 2024-25 season will be interesting for both the Predators and Askarov. The Sharks and Predators meet for the first time on January 21, 2025, in Nashville next season.