Why the NHL’s best goalie was available to the Sharks in a trade deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Sharks made an ambitious move to accelerate their rebuild by acquiring the NHL’s top goaltender, Yaroslav Askarov, in a blockbuster deal with the Nashville Predators on Friday.

San Jose received Askarov, forward Nolan Burke and a 2025 third-round draft pick from Nashville’s Colorado Avalanche, while the Predators sent center David Edstrom — a key part of the Tomáš Hertl trade in February — a conditional 2025 first-round draft pick from the Las Vegas Golden Knights and goalie Magnus Chrona.

How exactly did the Sharks manage to acquire the league’s most highly touted goalie, who desperately needed a long-term solution in net? The first domino to fall was Askarov’s request to be traded by the Predators, as first reported by NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes on Monday.

Predators general manager Barry Trotz acknowledged Weekes’ report Monday but told Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean that the team expects Askarov to attend training camp next month.

After Nashville signed current goalie Juuse Saros to an eight-year contract extension in July, Askarov’s path to meaningful playing time with the Predators was blocked, giving the Sharks the opportunity to land the coveted goalie.

Shortly after acquiring Askarov, San Jose extended the 22-year-old goalkeeper’s contract for two years, the team announced on Friday.

Sharks general manager Mike Grier told reporters that San Jose’s pursuit of Askarov began long before Friday’s trade was completed.

“We’ve talked about him off and on throughout the year, probably,” Grier told reporters. “It probably came up a little bit during the draft, and then again afterward. He’s obviously a super talented goalie, and there’s not a lot of opportunities where you get the chance to go after a young goalie like that and add him to your group. We’ve probably been in contact with them over the last year.”

San Jose had already built one of the NHL’s most impressive prospect pools prior to Askarov’s arrival, led by young centers Macklin Celebrini (No. 1 overall draft pick in 2024) and Will Smith (No. 4 overall draft pick in 2023), along with a promising group of forwards who figure to play a long-term role in the future of hockey in Northern California.

After adding defenseman Sam Dickinson with the 11th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, the only position where San Jose lacked a bona fide blue-chip prospect was in net. Grier addressed this pressing need with a bang, hitting a home run with Askarov’s addition that further bolstered San Jose’s overwhelming optimism about the future direction of the franchise.

Selected 11th overall in the 2020 draft, Askarov has made just three NHL appearances with a .914 save percentage and 2.58 goals-against average. However, the 22-year-old has excelled in 44 appearances during the 2023-24 AHL season, posting a 30-13-1 record with a 2.39 goals-against average for Nashville’s affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.

It remains to be seen what Askarov’s immediate role will be with the Sharks, but San Jose’s goaltending position has no set hierarchy, offering the 22-year-old the opportunity to carve out a significant role at the NHL level as the 2024-25 season approaches.

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast