NHL's top goalie prospect refuses to report: Officially requests a trade

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Cooper Godin
August 19, 2024 (8:13)

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The NHL's top goaltending prospect has officially requested a trade and has told his team that he won't report to AHL next season.

After weeks of rumours that the Nashville Predators may explore trade options for their top goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov, some new information has come to light from ESPN's Kevin Weekes.

In a post on social media, Weekes said that Yaroslav Askarov has told the Nashville Predators that he won't report to the team's American Hockey League affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, and has officially requested a trade.

The 22-year-old has spent the last two seasons in the American Hockey League with the Admirals since coming over to North America, but also has three NHL appearances under his belt. In the last two seasons, Askarov has proven that he is capable of being an elite goaltender in the NHL one day and has shown why he was the highest drafted goaltender since Jack Campbell back in 2010.

Last season, Askarov had a record of 30-13-1 in 44 games with Milwaukee along with a 2.39 goals against average, a .911 save percentage and six shutouts. Meanwhile, in three NHL games with the Predators, the Omsk, Russia native is 1-1-0 with a 2.57 GAA and a .914 save percentage.

There are a number of teams that could be interested in Askarov's services, two of them being the Montreal Canadiens and San Jose Sharks. For the Sharks, Askarov would come in right away be likely be their number one guy for the 2024-25 season and would provide San Jose with an elite goaltending prospect they've been looking for for a while now.

As for the Montreal Canadiens, they're set for the future with Jacob Fowler between the pipes. Fowler is heading back to Boston College this fall and likely won't be ready for become Montreal's starter until at least the 2027-28 season, but could feature in games prior to that. Bringing in Askarov would give the Canadiens another elite goaltending option as they enter their competitive window and could win the starting role at some point this season ahead of Samuel Montembeault or Cayden Primeau.

Which team do you think is a better fit for Yaroslav Askarov - Montreal or San Jose? Let us know what you think in the poll below!