Athletistic / Hockey. The Russian goaltending school has gradually become the best in the world of hockey. If after the collapse of the USSR, few Russian goalkeepers played in the NHL, then after the success of Sergei Bobrovsky abroad, a real boom of Russian goalkeepers began. Now, in five teams at once, the first numbers are Russians (in the Florida Panthers – Sergei Bobrovsky, in the Tampa Bay Lightning – Andrei Vasilevsky, in the New York Islanders – Ilya Sorokin, in the New York Rangers – Igor Shestyorkin, and in the Colorado Avalanche – Alexander Georgiev). Therefore, few people were surprised that Yaroslav Askarov became the first Russian in the 2020 NHL Draft.

Askarov was born in Omsk and took his first steps in hockey at the Avangard academy. However, already at the age of 11, he and his family moved to St. Petersburg, where he first played for the Bulldogs team, and at 16 he entered the SKA system. In the 2019/2020 season, Yaroslav was already the goalkeeper of the VHL team SKA-Neva and on November 27, 2019, at the age of 17, he made his debut in the KHL, playing for SKA in a home game with Sochi. The first game at the highest level went well for Askarov: his team won with a score of 4:2, he stopped 23 out of 25 shots on his possessions and became the second youngest goalkeeper to make his debut in the KHL after Ilya Sorokin.

The 2020 NHL Draft was supposed to be Yaroslav’s finest hour. And that’s what it was. Askarov went 11th overall to the Nashville Predators. It was the best result in draft history for a Russian goalie. The previous record was held by Andrei Vasilevsky, who went to Tampa in 2012 with the 19th overall pick. Askarov also became the first goalie selected in that draft, as well as the fifth European to find a new team.

Yaroslav was in no hurry to go straight to the NHL and decided to spend two more seasons in his homeland. In September 2020, he was recognized as the best goalie and the best rookie of the week in the KHL, demonstrating a phenomenal game with a reliability coefficient of 0.74. And in November, Askarov set the SKA record without conceding a goal for goalies under the age of 19, surpassing Evgeny Belosheykin’s feat, set in 1983. Yaroslav’s dry streak was 144 minutes and 41 seconds.

Photo source: HC “SKA-Neva”

Askarov was then waiting for the World Youth Championships in Edmonton (Canada). This tournament was supposed to be Yaroslav’s finest hour, but everything turned out to be quite the opposite. The Russian national team failed to win a medal at the 2021 World Cup, finishing in 4th place, and Askarov, according to statistics, was only the fifth goalkeeper at this tournament.

After returning from the World Junior Championship, Askarov had a chance to play for SKA in the match against Sochi (3:1), he was one of the best players in that meeting, but nevertheless he was quickly sent to the VHL. So, in the 2020/2021 season, the young goalkeeper played 9 matches for SKA, stopping 95.1% of shots. Askarov finished this campaign in the MHL as part of SKA-1946.

The 2021/2022 season was not a success for Askarov: he played only six matches for SKA, played 9 times for SKA-Neva in the VHL regular season and played only 3 playoff matches, losing the competition to Dmitry Nikolaev. After that, Yaroslav had to revive his career as soon as possible.

On May 3, 2022, Askarpov signed a tryout contract with Nashville’s farm club Milwaukee Admirals, and just two weeks later he signed a contract with the Predators themselves. However, the Russian had to wait more than six months to make his NHL debut – this happened on January 12, 2023, when Askarov stepped onto the ice in the NHL regular season match with the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the youngest goaltender in the history of the Tennessee club. “Nashville” eventually lost that match by the score (3:4), but Yaroslav Askarov stopped 35 shots and received excellent press. However, the Russian spent the rest of the 2022/2023 season with Milwaukee, with whom he reached the conference semifinals of the AHL playoffs.

As a result, Askorov had to wait almost a year for his first NHL victory – on December 30, 2023, he helped the Predators beat the Washington Capitals (3:2 G). The Russian stopped 26 own shots and was recognized as the first star of the game. It would seem that the product has shown its face, but Askarov did not appear on the ice in NHL games last season.

Photo source: NHL

This summer, Nashville signed Juuse Saros to a new eight-year contract and also traded Scott Wedgwood from the Dallas Stars. After that, it became clear that Askarov and his agent had to act. In July, Yaroslav was not released from Nashville, as the “predators” are in no hurry to part with their valuable asset and are trying to make the most of the current situation. However, our goalkeeper did not think about giving up. And then, on August 19, the news came that the 22-year-old Russian had requested a trade.

— As I learned, one of the top goaltenders, Yaroslav Askarov, has told Nashville that he will not be joining their AHL farm club in the new season and is asking to be traded.“, wrote author Kevin Weeks on his social media page.

And if earlier the Nashville management answered the question about Yaroslav Askarov in a flowery manner, now they had to react with lightning speed.

— We know about Askarov’s request, but we expect that In September, he will report to training camp and compete for a roster spot.“Nashville general manager Barry Trotz was quoted by the Nashville Post.

The fact is that Askarov’s rookie contract with Nashville expires at the end of the 2024/2025 season, after which he will become an unrestricted free agent. The Predators will have the opportunity to keep the Russian, but they will have to repeat the offer of any interested club, and this offer will be far from small, which, given the salary cap, leaves Nashville practically no room for maneuver. And if something does not work out with the NHL, Askarov can simply return to the KHL, where SKA will always be happy to see him. Therefore, the “predators” must either try to conclude a profitable trade with Askarov’s participation, or stop spoiling the Russian’s career and let him go quietly.

It’s unclear why Askarov never got a chance in Nashville. It’s unlikely the club would simply trade their 2020 draft pick for him. But three incomplete games in two seasons is a humiliation for the Russian goaltender. At 22, you have to play, and play at a good level. In the AHL, Askarov has already proven everything to everyone. It’s time to let him take on more serious accomplishments.

Nikita Serbakov, Athletistic



Athletistic