G Yaroslav Askarov (2020, 11th, NSH; traded to SJS) - PART 2

[kp61c]

they spit on his face with their signings, thank god he was able to spit back.

 

[timw33]

they spit on his face with their signings, thank god he was able to spit back.

Spit back by.....getting his team the richest return for a low NHL GP goalie since the Corey Schnieder trade in 2013?

 

[Shark Finn]

Oh he's a Shark now? Bust.

 

[Hinterland]

Oh he's a Shark now? Bust.

Who said that? Askarov is still young and one of the top goalie prospects in hockey. I haven't seen anybody call him a bust but many users seem to share my concerns about his lack of progress, especially in terms of positioning.

What I said is that Askarov isn't making any progress and seems to be unable to evaluate his own situation correctly. That's a concern but likely something that can be fixed with a few honest talks followed by some work put in.

Btw: I wrote the same thing on the main boards already when Askarov refused to report. I also wrote several very similar posts in this thread already back when leaving the Preds organization didn't even seem to be an option. Ever since getting drafted, Askarov has been an incredibly frustrating prospect to watch and follow but that doesn't make him a bust. Goalie development is voodoo and hardly ever linear. Having said that, he'll have to right the ship eventually and fix his positioning if he wants to reach his full potential.

 

[Wallet Inspector]

Celebrini and Smith were inevitable. Dickinson an obvious one. Like Musty and Chernyshov. But yes San Jose has drafted well since 2022. I really liked the 11 vs 27 & 34 exchange when San Jose's prospect bank was empty.

But the trade to get Askarov may not age well. Probably a top 10 or even top 5 pick for a goalkeeper selected 11th who disappointed compared to 2020 expectations. If San Jose misses out on an elite talent for a disappointing goal, the song may sound different in a few years.

Currently, based on probabilities, Nashville wins the trade for having most likely optimized its 2020 11th pick. I thought about it 4 years ago because Saros was closing the door on Askarov. The resulting player will likely be better than Lundell.

Not to go off topic but that was easily the worst move of San Jose's rebuild so far.

They could have gotten a blue chip prospect like Mateychuk or Lekkermaki but ended up with Bystedt, who while a good propsect, may not even end up as a top 6 guy. And the second round prospects San Jose got were nothing special.

 

[67 others]

But the trade to get Askarov may not age well. Probably a top 10 or even top 5 pick for a goalkeeper selected 11th who disappointed compared to 2020 expectations. If San Jose misses out on an elite talent for a disappointing goal, the song may sound different in a few years.

Im baffled by this. The Vegas pick is probably still going to be a late pick. I'm not sure what universe folks think Vegas is suddenly going to become a bottom feeder. A late 1st and bottom 6 C prospect for the best goalie prospect around is not a bad trade.

And in what way has Askarov disappointed? In his small north American sample size, he's got an AHL record of 56-29-6 with 9 shutouts and a good GAA and sv%. And in the 1 game he started last year in the NHL he won, and he came in 1 game in relief and stopped everything with a 1.47GAA and 94.3%sv

 

[Patty Ice]

in what way has Askarov disappointed?

Referring to his playoff performances where he was replaced twice, ironically by two former Sharks Devin Cooley and Troy Grosenick.

 

[67 others]

Referring to his playoff performances where he was replaced twice, ironically by two former Sharks Devin Cooley and Troy Grosenick.

Yes and in one series he was playing through a lower body injury.

Marc Andre Fleury had some historic youth collapses as well. A lot of us felt that own goal at the world Juniors was a death knell for his confidence. It happens.

 

[Patty Ice]

Yes and in one series he was playing through a lower body injury.

Marc Andre Fleury had some historic youth collapses as well. A lot of us felt that own goal at the world Juniors was a death knell for his confidence. It happens.

I don't disagree at all. It's growing pains but some will use it as ammunition to promote their narrative.

 

[Juxtaposer]

It's completelt fair to question Askarov's attitude or mindset. But a lot of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history have been head cases too...

 

[Patty Ice]

It's completelt fair to question Askarov's attitude or mindset. But a lot of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history have been head cases too...

Patrick Roy was cool as a cucumber if I recall absolutely incorrectly.

 

[Hinterland]

Im baffled by this. The Vegas pick is probably still going to be a late pick. I'm not sure what universe folks think Vegas is suddenly going to become a bottom feeder. A late 1st and bottom 6 C prospect for the best goalie prospect around is not a bad trade.

And in what way has Askarov disappointed? In his small north American sample size, he's got an AHL record of 56-29-6 with 9 shutouts and a good GAA and sv%. And in the 1 game he started last year in the NHL he won, and he came in 1 game in relief and stopped everything with a 1.47GAA and 94.3%sv

I wouldn't say that it's a bad trade. That remains to be seen. It's maybe a bad contract but even if, the Sharks can afford to throw that money out of the window.

Askarov played two seasons behind what was probably the AHL's top team but his own level of play was closer to ECHL than AHL. He cost them two playoff runs in a row and as mentioned before I don't think he ever played 5 solid regular season games in a row either. While some up and down's are to be expected from a goalie prospect, Askarov's inconsistency is a direct result of him not working (at least that's my interpretation) on his weaknesses. In my view he probably didn't even identify positioning and technique as weaknesses. I posted this in this thread even before he refused to report to Milwaukee. I really think Askarov is struggling to evaluate his performances (or lack thereof) and weaknesses.

I'm not saying that it can't be fixed but it needs to be addressed one way or the other. Askarov has disappointed because he was at such a high level when getting drafted but hasn't really improved since. I'm no scout and some hfboards users claim to have spotted technical improvements but either way his positioning hasn't and definitely remains a huge concern. He wants to play ASAP but keeps on losing his net on a regular basis...game after game. He probably still thinks he can afford to do so because of his talent (combination of size, reflexes and athleticism) but that's not gonna work. At least not consistently.


Potentially good trade for the Sharks. If they can talk sense into Askarov I can see him improve quickly. It's definitely high risk though.

 

[Grinner]

Not to go off topic but that was easily the worst move of San Jose's rebuild so far.

They could have gotten a blue chip prospect like Mateychuk or Lekkermaki but ended up with Bystedt, who while a good propsect, may not even end up as a top 6 guy. And the second round prospects San Jose got were nothing special.

I wish it hadn't been so far back in the draft. But, the Sharks prospect pool was empty and I imagine Grier wanted mire chips at the draft.

 

[Mattb124]

Isn't that largely the reason he asked for a trade? I would expect him to be up with the big club.

No, he asked for a trade because his path to being a starter in Nashville was blocked by Saros getting the 8 year contract (and Wedgewood getting a 2 year deal as the back-up). Not reporting to the AHL was the mechanism by which he pressured for a trade.

I wonder how much difference there will be with Askarov playing in San Jose in either the NHL or (more likely) AHL and being proximate to the goalie coaches versus when he was in Milwaukee when I would presume the Pred’s goalie coach spent most of his time in Nashville?