Report: Devils Were Interested in Predators' Askarov
Yaroslav Askarov may have ended up in San Jose, but the New Jersey Devils were reportedly among the interested teams
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The New Jersey Devils' short-term goaltending situation is set with Jacob Markström and Jake Allen. Even in the long term, they have quite a few prospects, so one would have to think one or two will pan out and become NHL regulars.
But if not, the Devils could find themselves looking for a goalie again when Markström's contract ends in 2026. As it turns out, they were already on the prowl. Yaroslav Askarov may have ended up with the San Jose Sharks, but Elliotte Friedman reported that the Devils and Montreal Canadiens were among the interested teams.
In the end, the Sharks had a little more to give, and they had something to offer Askarov that the Devils might not be able to for this season.
An Askarov Trade Always Seemed a Bit Unlikely
I wrote about a potential Askarov trade a couple of days ago, but to recap, the Devils have some intriguing goaltending prospects in their system. Nico Daws has seen plenty of NHL minutes already, Jakub Málek is playing well in Finland, and Mikhail Yegorov was a second-round pick just a couple of months ago.
Even Isaac Poulter seems like he could be a legit NHL prospect after a solid season with the Utica Comets in 2023-24 when he posted a .911 save percentage in 28 games.
While that's all fine and well, it's hard to argue any of those prospects have the upside that Askarov has. You could make the case that the Minnesota Wild's Jesper Wallstedt is the best goaltending prospect in the world, but if not, it's Askarov.
That's what a trade for Askarov was all about. It was betting on the upside, and even though goalies are voodoo, he's more likely to be a high-end 1A than Daws, Yegorov, etc.
The Predators selected Askarov 11th overall in the 2020 draft, and how many goalies have we seen drafted that high in recent years? The answer is not many, so he's a special prospect. Back-to-back .911 save percentages in the AHL may not seem impressive, but it is when you account that it occurred in his age-20 and -21 seasons.
Ultimately, the Sharks ended up with him, and there are a couple of reasons. First) They offer him the clearest path to the NHL of the teams who reportedly had interest in him. The Sharks may have the Devils' old tandem of Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vaněček, but if Askarov lives up to his potential, he will win that job.
The reason he wanted out of Nashville is because he wanted to be in the NHL next season, and that's not something the Devils can offer with Markström and Allen. I don't think that's what ultimately prevented the Devils from acquiring Askarov. He probably knows that given Markstrom and Allen's ages, there's a long-term path for him in New Jersey. But it may not have helped.
Two) The Sharks had more assets to give than the Devils. Between Macklin Celebrini, Quentin Musty, Sam Dickinson and Will Smith, there's a strong argument the Sharks have the best prospect pool in the NHL. That's why giving up someone like David Edström, a good but not great prospect, shouldn't hurt the Sharks' system much.
The Devils' prospect pool has gotten thinner in the last couple of years, as some have graduated to the NHL (Dawson Mercer), and some have been used as trade bait (Alexander Holtz and Shakir Mukhamadullin).
Seamus Casey is a better prospect than Edström, but he's not that far off. The difference is he's arguably the Devils' best prospect right now (depending on who you consider a prospect), so he likely would have had to go the other way to Nashville. If not him, then perhaps Lenni Hameenäho.
You can bet a Devils goalie prospect would've been in the deal, too; the Sharks did include Magnus Chrona in the trade. Plus, the Devils didn’t have a first-round pick to give, either. It's a fair bit to give up for Askarov, who was unlikely to help the team this season, so that probably gave general manager Tom Fitzgerald pause about a full pursuit for him.
Devils Will Have Other Long-Term Options Arise
Askarov may have ended up in San Jose, but I would have been surprised if the Devils acquired him. There was a fit for sure, but factors like acquisition cost and playing time (though to a lesser degree) were probably working against the Devils.
The good thing is the Devils have Markström and Allen for the foreseeable future, and Daws and Poulter should be capable enough to play in NHL games this season. It would've been nice to get the succession plan for Markström, but I'm sure other opportunities will arise when the time comes.
A quick note. I’m in Pittsburgh for a family function until Monday, so I most likely won’t be posting regularly again until Tuesday.
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