For the second time this week, there was a big prospect trade in the NHL. This time it involved one of the best young goaltenders in hockey as Yaroslav Askarov was the centerpiece of a deal that sent him from the Nashville Predators to the San Jose Sharks.

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The full trade saw Askarov, a 2025 third-round pick that previously belonged to the Colorado Avalanche and minor leaguer Nolan Burke to San Jose, with 2023 32nd overall pick David Edstrom, a conditional 2025 first-round pick previously belonging to the Vegas Golden Knights and goalie prospect Magnus Chrona going to Nashville. The condition on the first round pick is that if Vegas's pick becomes a top-10 selection, the Sharks will have the choice to keep that pick or their own first-rounder in 2025.

It’s a big trade and a particularly splashy one for the Sharks who had also acquired their future franchise centerpiece by drafting Macklin Celebrini first overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. Adding Askarov now gives the Sharks their potential long-term goaltender after the Russian had made it known to Nashville that he wanted to go elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the Predators still landed some significant assets for a goaltender that has just three NHL appearances under his belt. Edstrom was a good prospect in San Jose’s deepening system, Chrona played NHL games last season and it never hurts to add a first-round pick as they did for the 2025 NHL Draft. Considering Askarov had threatened not to report to Nashville’s AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals if he was sent back, they got good value.

Let’s dive into the details…

What the San Jose Sharks Are Getting In Yaroslav Askarov

Askarov is a big, athletic and often very aggressive goaltender. He was selected 11th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, making him the highest drafted goalie in a decade. The right-catching Askarov was a standout for Russia in international competition, helping them win a Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and World Junior A Challenge, and silvers at the U18 Worlds and World Juniors. 

As a professional, he struggled to get consistent playing time in the KHL before leaving ahead of the 2022-23 season. Over his two seasons in North America, Askarov has played 92 games in the AHL for the Milwaukee Admirals, posting a .911 save percentage and nine shutouts. He was dominant in stretches of this last season and was named to the AHL’s All-Star Classic.

Yaroslav Askarov may be unorthodox, but he sure is entertaining! What do you do when you poke check your blocker right off your hand? The @mkeadmirals goalie has the answer! Look ma! One hand! 🖐️😆 #AHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/zW7IYuD4El

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) February 5, 2024

Askarov’s postseason numbers have been suspect as he has a sub-.900 save percentage over 17 playoff games, but last season seemed to prove he was ready for the next step.

The 22-year-old appeared in three NHL games over the last two seasons with the predators. He faced 70 shots over that span, stopping 64 of them. That includes an overtime win against the Washington Capitals in which he stopped 27 of 29 shots to log his first career win.

Askarov is a colorful personality and it matches the way he plays. He is an aggressive goalie who often relies on his athleticism and competitiveness to make saves. He doesn’t play a predictable style, which is why you can sometimes see wild swings in his play. That said, he can make a lot of the saves other goalies cannot and does so regularly. With a 6-foot-4 frame he can take up a lot of net.

Because he doesn’t necessarily have that technique that so many modern goalies possess, there are bouts with inconsistency. So there’s always a bit of risk in his game. That said, he’s only 22 years old and has two successful AHL seasons under his belt where he’s played a lot.

The upside here is pretty remarkable, especially with a goalie at Askarov’s current age. He looked incredible at times in the AHL last season, finally getting the consistent playing time and reps he needed to become a reliable pro in North America. There's a strong case that he is the No. 1 goalie prospect in hockey right now, though others like Sebastian Cossa and Jesper Wallstedt may yet have something to say about that in the near future.

Askarov thinks he’s ready for the NHL and he just may be. He’ll likely be under siege as the Sharks are likely going to struggle to stay competitive. He’s going to give them a chance in a lot of games though. While I think Askarov will take his lumps for a period of time, I still firmly believe – as I did in his draft season – that he has not only No. 1 potential, but the chance to be a star if he puts it all together.

The Sharks also got Nolan Burke in the deal. Burke was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Nashville and spent most of last season with the Atlanta Gladiators in the ECHL. He had 15 points in 47 games. As a junior player with the Sarnia Sting, he had 82 points in his final OHL season. Burke is under contract for one more season.

What The Nashville Predators Are Getting From The Askarov Trade

Before we get into the assets acquired, the Preds already have their goalie of both the present and future in Juuse Saros. He’s under long-term contract and has been a top-five finisher in Vezina Trophy voting over each of the last three seasons. Some questioned why they would take Askarov so high when Saros was clearly on the verge of taking control of the NHL net, but that’s just how good of a prospect Askarov was at that time. So instead of playing for the Preds, Askarov became an asset to bring in good value.

David Edstrom is a big piece of the trade and he is literally quite big. The 6-foot-3 center has a powerful game. Initially drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights 32nd overall, but was sent to the Sharks as part of the blockbuster Tomas Hertl trade last season.

Edstrom had a strong showing in his first full professional season in Sweden last year, posting 19 points in 44 games for Frolunda, with another four in 14 postseason games. He was also part of Sweden’s silver-medal winning World Junior team last year. Edstrom is under contract and was expected to be loaned back to Frolunda for another season.

The big center may ultimately play wing in the NHL, but he has good soft-touch skills with the ability to play a heavy game and be disruptive. 

As for Magnus Chrona, last season was his first in pro hockey after a successful career at the University of Denver. He played in the ECHL, AHL and NHL within San Jose’s system last season. While his numbers were not inspiring, there’s evidence that he belongs.

Chrona projects as a potential No. 2 goalie, but he is still very much developing. The 6-foot-6 Swede has pro size and plays a controlled style in the net. He’ll need more time in the AHL and will have to help fill the void left by Askarov in Milwaukee. I’d expect Chrona would get a lot of reps just as the departning netminder did.

Meanwhile, Nashville has three first-round draft picks in 2025 now. In addition to their own selection, they also have the Vegas Golden Knights’ first from this trade and the Tampa Bay Lightning’s first-round pick from the Tanner Jeannot trade that was executed in 2023.

That gives GM Barry Trotz a ton of options heading into next season. If Nashville is competitive in the Central, they have some valuable trade assets to use near the deadline.

Askarov Trade Analysis 

In the end, the San Jose Sharks got the best player in the trade. If Askarov hits on the projection that he is a No. 1 goalie in the NHL, the Sharks have another piece of their core. The goaltender is also one of the toughest pieces to acquire. We’ll have to see if everything goes the right way for them, but this is a player worth taking a chance on based on track record.

Mike Grier dealt from a position of strength with a prospect pool that has gotten much deeper over the last two years. The San Jose GM is laying the foundation for a team that will be competitive in the next few years.

Nashville can’t really complain about this one, either. They’ve gotten a quality prospect in Edstrom, a highly-valuable asset in a first-round pick and a goalie that could figure into their long-term plans depending on how these next few years go in Chrona’s development.

Like we saw with the Pittsburgh-Winnipeg trade of prospects, we have one team making the best of a situation where a player did not want to be part of their organization and the other team adds a piece that fills an immediate hole in their organization.

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