Confirmed with Link: Sharks acquire Yaroslav Askarov (w/extension, 2yr @ $2m per), F Nolan Burke 2025 3rd for Edstrom, VGK 1st, and G Chrona

[Hodge]

You really think that's all Dobson would cost?

If so, this seems like a dream scenario, though I'd optimistically have Couture in the Vatrano spot.

No idea, just tried to use the Sergachev to Utah trade as a reference.

Ferraro = Moser, Musty = Geekie and a potentially high 1st instead of a 2nd to make up for Dobson being a right shot without Serge's injury history.

Dobson will be an arb eligible RFA 1 year away from UFA status which should dampen his trade value a bit. He's probably looking at a ~10M/yr deal.

 

[Chairman Mallard]

After some time to process this, I still don’t know how to feel. I’m not as high on Askarov as some I think. I guess I’d compare him to like Eklund or Mukhammadullin in that yes all these guys have potential to be top of the lineup elite level players but honestly probably won’t reach that level. I think Askarov has potential to be the Hellebuyck, Vasilevskiy, etc level starter but probably closer to like a Markstrom or a Bobrovsky where he’s still very good but not that elite level. It’s just a very high price to pay for a goalie that has done nothing at the NHL level. I also worry about Askarov having to play this year in the NHL (since the goalies that might be ahead of him are very injury prone) and getting completely left out to dry night in and night out.8 I ALSO worry about our staff’s ability to develop a goaltender.

If he hit Markstrom/Bob level I’d still be stoked. Sharks haven’t had that in a while and it’s a huge need atm long term. Edstrom to me is likely to top out as a 3C, and the first right now is a mystery box that is likely to be a mid ish first which is also no slam dunk.

Grier took a calculated risk and landed the best shot at a future elite goalie at a time where we just loaded up on other high end prospects and could afford to move on from one of the other prospects. I don’t think losing Edstrom and a mystery box first is so much to risk even if Askarov doesn’t pan out as an elite goalie.

They also got a third back which yes doesn’t have a large chance of hitting but could still end up being something.

 

[Gecklund]

If he hit Markstrom/Bob level I’d still be stoked. Sharks haven’t had that in a while and it’s a huge need atm long term. Edstrom to me is likely to top out as a 3C, and the first right now is a mystery box that is likely to be a mid ish first which is also no slam dunk.

Grier took a calculated risk and landed the best shot at a future elite goalie at a time where we just loaded up on high end prospects. I don’t think losing Edstrom and a mystery box first is so much to risk even if Askarov doesn’t pan out as an elite goalie.

They also got a third back which yes doesn’t have a large chance of hitting but could still end up being something.

Yeah definitely I mean I don’t blame Grier for making the trade at all. I get it. You’re right it’s been a while since we’ve had a consistently good goalie. If Askarov works out great but I could also see confidence dipping massively because he’s constantly letting in 5 goals because his defense is terrible. So all in all, I get it but it’s still a big price to pay for an unproven asset. If this trade happened in say a year when I’m expecting our defense to be a bit better, I’m happy. Right now though I worry what rushing him to the NHL behind Swiss cheese and traffic cones on defense will do to his development.

 

[Chairman Mallard]

I guess I don’t see it as too high a price to pay as the price we paid was also completely unproven. Edstrom hasn’t shown anything to say he will be anything but a top 9 (middle six) forward and most mid to lateish firsts are most likely to also be a top 9 ish forward.

Based on the current makeup of the prospect pool of the sharks I don’t see it being too much to move two of those types of pieces for a potential long term elite goaltender.

 

[TheBeard]

I guess I don’t see it as too high a price to pay as the price we paid was also completely unproven. Edstrom hasn’t shown anything to say he will be anything but a top 9 (middle six) forward and most mid to lateish firsts are most likely to also be a top 9 ish forward.

Based on the current makeup of the prospect pool of the sharks I don’t see it being too much to move two of those types of pieces for a potential long term elite goaltender.

I don’t either. And some of the doomsday scenarios some have created for themselves are wild to me. It’s almost as if they’re basing the trade on the absolute assumption that Vegas is suddenly going to be a basement feeder and Askarov is the next Jake Allen at best.

 

[Gecklund]

I guess I don’t see it as too high a price to pay as the price we paid was also completely unproven. Edstrom hasn’t shown anything to say he will be anything but a top 9 (middle six) forward and most mid to lateish firsts are most likely to also be a top 9 ish forward.

Based on the current makeup of the prospect pool of the sharks I don’t see it being too much to move two of those types of pieces for a potential long term elite goaltender.

Ah that might be where the disconnect is there then too. Because I think Edstrom has second line potential. So I think Edstrom has higher potential than most here and Askarov has lower.

I don’t either. And some of the doomsday scenarios some have created for themselves are wild to me. It’s almost as if they’re basing the trade on the absolute assumption that Vegas is suddenly going to be a basement feeder and Askarov is the next Jake Allen at best.

Holy hyperbole Batman. I’ve read most posts in this thread and not a single person has said this. You give other people shit for making up stories in here yet you just did the same. And you’re going to use the “I said ALMOST IF” excuse to say you didn’t say it.

 

[LilLeeroy]

Can anybody with more knowledge about goalie prospects explain why scouts rank Askarov as the best/second best goalie prospect when a lot of the similar goalie prospects in the AHL have better stats behind inferior teams and are all the same age or younger?

Don't really get it, and it seems like it would be ranking Oliver Moore/Matthew Wood ahead of Will Smith as a prospect. Are Askarov's tools that much better than Wolf/Levi/Cossa/Hofer/Blomqvist that he is still a better prospect than those guys despite worse production at the same age?

Or is it just mainly based on his draft pedigree?

 

[Munnyro]

Can anybody with more knowledge about goalie prospects explain why scouts rank Askarov as the best/second best goalie prospect when a lot of the similar goalie prospects in the AHL have better stats behind inferior teams and are all the same age or younger?

Don't really get it, and it seems like it would be ranking Oliver Moore/Matthew Wood ahead of Will Smith as a prospect. Are Askarov's tools that much better than Wolf/Levi/Cossa/Hofer/Blomqvist that he is still a better prospect than those guys despite worse production at the same age?

Or is it just mainly based on his draft pedigree?

It was posted earlier but here it is again, from - What to make of Yaroslav Askarov's trade request

"Askarov is a unicorn, in several ways. He plays aggressively and skates exceptionally well, almost like a smaller goalie, but has a larger goalie frame at 6-foot-4. He’s never out of a play, and consistently makes second and third-chance saves because of how well he remains composed, even in the most scrambly moments. He’s by far the most explosive goalie of any of the prospects watched for this exercise.

Askarov is also an emotional goalie and it impacts his game, which can be a positive and a negative. He gets fired up for certain opponents, he likes playing against other top goalie prospects, and he likes to celebrate big moments publicly. It also makes his struggles snowball a bit, and it’s why he’s lost the net at times in the AHL, with the coaching staff turning to a calmer, more composed veteran. If he can find some balance in his game, Askarov is going to be a surefire No. 1 in the NHL and could contend for Vezina Trophies if he lives up to his tools."

Tl;Dr: He is a great skater/edge work, athletic, with solid transitions and movement.

 

[YUPPY 2 7 10 11]

With the recent acquisition, where does Askarov fits in the Sharks Prospects pool?
We need an emergency prospects voting for Askarov.


1. Macklin Celebrini ~95% (NR)
2. Will Smith ~90% (#1)
2.5 Yaroslav Askarov ???????
3. Sam Dickinson ~95% (NR)
4. Quentin Musty ~49% (#3)
5. Shakir Mukhamadullin ~77% (#4)
6. Igor Chernyshov ~39% (NR)
7. Filip Bystedt ~34% (#5)
8. David Edstrom ~54% (NR)
9. Kasper Halttunen ~69% (#11)
10. Daniil Gushchin ~23% (#8)
11. Collin Graf ~37% (NR)
12. Luca Cagnoni ~38% (#12)
13. Eric Pohlkamp ~45% (NR)
14. Leo Sahlin Wallenius ~52% (NR)
15. Ethan Cardwell ~52% (NR)
16. Jack Thompson (RO) ~60% (NR)
17. Jake Furlong ~25% (NR)
18. Cam Lund ~27% (#9)
19. Mattias Havelid ~33% (NR)

 

[Juxtaposer]

I think one way to think about this is that some people were thinking about spending the Vegas 1st this year on a goaltender like Josh Ravensbergen. Would you give up David Edstrom to age up Ravensbergen by four years and ensure that he's at worst a good AHL goaltender by that age. I would easily.

 

[gaucholoco3]

Everyone worried about potentially giving up a top 10 pick as to high of a cost doesn’t realize that if a top 10 pick is going to Nashville it guarantees the Sharks have a better top 10 pick.

Even in the worst case scenario if the trade ends up including the #2 overall pick that would guarantee the Sharks are picking #1. So it would sting giving up a #2 overall pick but not much when you have the #1 overall.

 

[LilLeeroy]

It was posted earlier but here it is again, from - What to make of Yaroslav Askarov's trade request

"Askarov is a unicorn, in several ways. He plays aggressively and skates exceptionally well, almost like a smaller goalie, but has a larger goalie frame at 6-foot-4. He’s never out of a play, and consistently makes second and third-chance saves because of how well he remains composed, even in the most scrambly moments. He’s by far the most explosive goalie of any of the prospects watched for this exercise.

Askarov is also an emotional goalie and it impacts his game, which can be a positive and a negative. He gets fired up for certain opponents, he likes playing against other top goalie prospects, and he likes to celebrate big moments publicly. It also makes his struggles snowball a bit, and it’s why he’s lost the net at times in the AHL, with the coaching staff turning to a calmer, more composed veteran. If he can find some balance in his game, Askarov is going to be a surefire No. 1 in the NHL and could contend for Vezina Trophies if he lives up to his tools."

Tl;Dr: He is a great skater/edge work, athletic, with solid transitions and movement.

Thank you for the explanation, just a little surprising that despite that clear advantage in tools, he was outperformed by all those guys in the AHL.

Also hard to imagine the best goalie coach in history not drooling at the chance to work with a unicorn.

Everyone worried about potentially giving up a top 10 pick as to high of a cost doesn’t realize that if a top 10 pick is going to Nashville it guarantees the Sharks have a better top 10 pick.

Even in the worst case scenario if the trade ends up including the #2 overall pick that would guarantee the Sharks are picking #1. So it would sting giving up a #2 overall pick but not much when you have the #1 overall.

Yeah would be terrible to have the #1 and #2 picks.

 

[67 others]

Schaefer is good enough to ignore side. If you go

Schaefer-xxx
Dickinson-xxx
Muk-xxx

Thats a strong d core that you can then fill in with "lesser" guys.

2025 NHL Draft ranking: Scott Wheeler's early top 28

An early look at the top prospects in the 2025 NHL Draft class.

www.nytimes.com

One tourney can change everything when it comes to rankings eh?

The truth is they are ranked very closely everywhere I look now. but just 4 months ago, Hensler was #2 behind Hagens and Schaefer was 14th

I do like Schaefer's skating and IQ a bit better so far, but its not a big gap. both are pretty close. Being right handed is a big factor for me

 

[Celly4Celebrini]

A few months ago Logan Hensler was ranked equal to or better.

Let's see how the draft year plays . Bound to be some swings.

I dont think its Hensler has "fallen" but rather Schaefer has risen. I've thought the top 5 guys were almost locked to be forwards. Hagens, McQueen, Misa, Frondell, Martone.

 

[Munnyro]

Also hard to imagine the best goalie coach in history not drooling at the chance to work with a unicorn.

They aren't trading him because of ability or concerns about his play. This is a roster move. Most teams don't roll out two starters.

He is perceived ahead of schedule and Saros has been their guy for almost a decade already. Known quantity plus Nashville is trying to win now.

 

[LilLeeroy]

They aren't trading him because of ability or concerns about his play. This is a roster move. Most teams don't roll out two starters.

He is perceived ahead of schedule and Saros has been their guy for almost a decade already. Known quantity plus Nashville is trying to win now.

Going with the young and talented goalie over the older and expensive one isn't particularly uncommon in the NHL (especially for win now teams up against the cap). Both Trotz and Mitch Korn have talked about concerns with his mental aptitude for goaltending, so clearly it was more than that.

 

[JoeThorntonsRooster]

Everyone worried about potentially giving up a top 10 pick as to high of a cost doesn’t realize that if a top 10 pick is going to Nashville it guarantees the Sharks have a better top 10 pick.

Even in the worst case scenario if the trade ends up including the #2 overall pick that would guarantee the Sharks are picking #1. So it would sting giving up a #2 overall pick but not much when you have the #1 overall.

Actually it would sting extremely hard giving up a 2nd overall pick.

 

[Patty Ice]

Matt Schaefer is a LHD.

We are looking at Logan Hensler and Charlie Trethaway

Schaefer is far and away the top defenseman in the draft. Organizations do not place handedness as high as us fans do. Truth is plenty of guys can and do play on their offside. The Sharks just need to draft the best D prospect available.

Maybe that changes and Hensler shortens the gap, then sure you can start placing more value on him being a RHD but right now Schaefer would be the best choice.

 

[Hangemhigh]

This is a good trade for Nashville.

Could also be a good trade for the Sharks if Askarov hits his ceiling and is a Vezina contender for many years with a few Conn Smythe trophies.

If Askarov is just a regular starter, it depends on where the 1st pick lands.

If Askarov is a NHL backup, it sucks.

 

[67 others]

Schaefer is far and away the top defenseman in the draft. Organizations do not place handedness as high as us fans do. Truth is plenty of guys can and do play on their offside. The Sharks just need to draft the best D prospect available.

Maybe that changes and Hensler shortens the gap, then sure you can start placing more value on him being a RHD but right now Schaefer would be the best choice.

I disagree that he is far and away the top guy. Logan Hensler is very close to Schaefer in my ranking and in most rankings I see. He was in fact ranked higher than Schaefer until recently. Might change again in 4 months. last year this time, Cole Eiserman was the undisputed #2 guy behind Celebrini

Also, Yes Organizations place a lot of value in RHS. More than fans.

This past draft just drives that point home. Levshunov, Silayev, Dickenson, Buium were the top 4 Dmen of this draft almost everywhere. Carter Yakemchuk was universally regarded on every scouting list as ranked lower than the other top Dmen of this draft. And Parekh was widely believed to be a boom or bust guy who should be ranked 2nd last on most lists.

We knew RHD Levshunov would go first. Chicago made no secret of that. But the amount of surprise all over the boards and in broadcasts/Podcasts that Yakemchuk and Parekh (both RHD) went before LHD Buium and Dickenson was visible.

Also not surprising, in the next tier of available Dmen, 5 out of 6 chosen first were RHD ranked often lower than LHD they got drafted ahead of.

Its not a fan thing to know LHD have a lot of troubles playing their off side because everything is different and harder.

 

[The Nemesis]

Technically not the case. Weird stuff would have to happen, but if we finish outside of the top 10 then technically we could give up the better pick if Vegas is also outside of the top 10. Would mean absolutely epic seasons from Macklin and Smith though, so I am not sure I would even care at that point.

True in the most technically correct way, but the chances that the Sharks do well enough to get out of the basement and nearly out of the lottery are pretty slim.

And honestly if this were to happen it would almost certainly only mean giving up a pick that's 1 to 3 picks higher than where the Sharks finish. Because even if Celebrini is immediately prime Toews/Crosby, Smith is prime Kane, and Askarov explodes to be Andrei Vasilevskiy this team isn't getting high enough to be in spitting distance of the playoffs. Like someone noted in another thread, if the Sharks magically doubled their win total from last year they would only be right on the fringes of the playoff picture, not in it.

 

[timorous me]

I think one way to think about this is that some people were thinking about spending the Vegas 1st this year on a goaltender like Josh Ravensbergen. Would you give up David Edstrom to age up Ravensbergen by four years and ensure that he's at worst a good AHL goaltender by that age. I would easily.

I thought I'd had this very original epiphany this morning, but I guess you beat me to it. At least I feel validated in my thinking now!

If we assume that the highly-likely scenario holds and the Vegas first ends up in the bottom half of the first round, and that our second round pick ends up in the early-to-mid 30s, and one of those (even if just the second) was to be used on a goalie, it's almost like we're not losing anything by trading one of those picks.

Obviously that's sort of magical thinking, but it's true that a goalie drafted even in, say, the top 35 in 2025 isn't likely to be anything for us until 2030 at the earliest. That time will come around eventually, I presume, but it feels like a really long ways away.

And if you're Mike Grier, building this team, do you really want to feed off of scraps in net waiting for a lottery ticket to pan out (a much riskier lottery ticket than Askarov because a lot can go wrong even for top goalie prospects between 18 and 22) until you've been on the job for nearly a decade?

 

[Mattb124]

Schaefer is far and away the top defenseman in the draft. Organizations do not place handedness as high as us fans do. Truth is plenty of guys can and do play on their offside. The Sharks just need to draft the best D prospect available.

Maybe that changes and Hensler shortens the gap, then sure you can start placing more value on him being a RHD but right now Schaefer would be the best choice.

How do you reconcile the comment with the ordering of the d-men taken in the top 13 of this year’s draft? They went RHD, RHD, RHD, LHD, LHD, LHD. Other than Levshunov (2 OA) they went significantly out of order relative to consensus, with handedness being the most obvious criterion one could point to regarding draft order.

 

[StreetHawk]

And if you're Mike Grier, building this team, do you really want to feed off of scraps in net waiting for a lottery ticket to pan out (a much riskier lottery ticket than Askarov because a lot can go wrong even for top goalie prospects between 18 and 22) until you've been on the job for nearly a decade?

Timeline wise, getting a 22 year old makes sense. Goalies are going to be 22-24 before they make the NHL, so good to get a guy now that can gain experience before they are in position to compete for the PO, vs asking a rookie or 2nd year kid to backstop the team back into the PO for the first time in the 202X's. Very rare the established #1 goalies ever hit the market, like Bishop in 2017 and Markstrom in 2021.

Basically, you traded Hertl (his return) for Askarov. Hertl established player, but doesn't fit the timeline of the team. Askarov does.

If you don't make this deal and none of the goalies develop (doubt you are banking the entire future on 4th rounders), then at best you draft someone like Josh Ravensbergen from the WHL, but he would be an older 18 year old (late birthday) and wouldn't be NHL ready until like 2029. thus, best to move up the timeline, whereas with the Sarros signing, it would kind of make sense for Nash to taken Ravensbergen to reset their goalie timeline.

 

[Patty Ice]

Its not a fan thing to know LHD have a lot of troubles playing their off side because everything is different and harder.

That is simply not true. These aren't simple cavemen that get spooked by on the different side of the ice. The reason why it's a thing is due to coaches wanting to emphasize their defensemen playing defense and having their stick facing the wall is more conducive to that. If a guy is having trouble playing his off side, he probably is having trouble in general.

And to the Hensler/Schaefer debate, I was/am a big Hensler guy but his development this past season was lacking behind Schaefer. I have no issue with the Sharks taking Hensler but right now, not over Schaefer simply because of handedness. That is silly. There is still plenty of time for things to change.

How do you reconcile the comment with the ordering of the d-men taken in the top 13 of this year’s draft? They went RHD, RHD, RHD, LHD, LHD, LHD. Other than Levshunov (2 OA) they went significantly out of order relative to consensus, with handedness being the most obvious criterion one could point to regarding draft order.

As I conceded later in my post, yes it becomes a factor when the talent is close enough. It's not like Yak or Parekh are scrubs. I still think Yak has a higher ceiling than most of the consensus top 6 but also a higher bust potential.