Yaroslav Askarov requested to be traded when he was a member of the Nashville Predators.
The reason is simple: the Preds did not give him the chance to play regularly in the National League, and the goaltender judges that he is ready to move to the next level.
He felt stuck behind Juuse Saros.
He was traded to the Sharks and we all said he was going to have the opportunity to quickly establish himself in the NHL.
But… Not so fast.
We learned today that the Sharks sent him to the American League:
The Sharks already count on the services of Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek in net.
That said, does the organization find it better to rely on two veterans for next season to give Askarov time to develop?
Maybe, but still… Askarov’s desire was clear before he was traded to California.
Again, he wants to play in the NHL.
Did the fact that Blackwood and Vanecek were eligible for waivers also play a role in the Sharks’ decision? This question also arises in my eyes.
But on the other hand, I wonder if it has something to do with the young man’s attitude.
We know that Askarov is a confident player and that he says he is ready to play in the big league, but he must understand above all that it is his club that ultimately makes the decision.
Hum…
It is important to remember here that the 22-year-old goaltender signed a two-year contract extension worth $4 million (annual average of $2 million) after being traded to the Sharks.
The agreement will be activated for the 25-26 season… But even if he has agreed to the terms of a contract with the Sharks, that does not mean that he is no longer eligible to play in the American League.
He cannot be placed on waivers because he only has three games of NHL experience.
Brief. It remains to be seen, but we agree that the Russian must not be the most satisfied guy on earth at the moment.
I can’t wait to see how he responds if he’s actually called upon to start the season in the American League.
Prolongation
Askarov is therefore one of the players who will have to report to the Barracuda (Sharks’ farm club) training camp in the coming days.
For now, it is interesting to note that Thomas Bordeleau, Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini are still among the players present at camp Sharks :
