To say the Nashville Predators’ offseason has been eventful would be an understatement, and it seems the action is far from over.
After trading Cody Glass to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a cap-saving move on Tuesday, an even bigger deal could be on the horizon for Nashville. On a surprise edition of his “32 Thoughts” podcast, Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman mentioned that the Predators are entertaining offers for highly-regarded goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov.
“I don’t think that’s the only piece of business the Predators are considering right now,” Friedman said. “I believe the other one is Askarov, their young goalie. For several weeks now, they’ve been telling teams, ‘Let us know what you think, what the market is for him,’ because I do think they’re planning to do something.”
Friedman also noted that Askarov has expressed to the Predators, and word has spread around the league, that he doesn’t want to play in the American Hockey League (AHL); he wants to be in the NHL next season. Therefore, any team interested in acquiring him needs to ensure they have room for him in the NHL lineup, as acquiring him only to have him unhappy or uncertain about his future wouldn’t be beneficial.
Askarov, 22, was widely considered the top goalie prospect in the 2020 NHL Draft, where he was selected 11th overall. He’s expected to be a long-term starter with potential comparable to some of the league’s top goalies. However, with only three NHL games under his belt, where he posted a .914 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average, he’s still early in his development.
Given that the Predators recently signed Juuse Saros to an eight-year extension starting in 2025-26, Askarov’s opportunity to start in Nashville seems limited. A trade now appears to be in the best interest of both parties, giving Askarov a better chance to start elsewhere and allowing Nashville to receive significant value in return for the young goalie.
