Elite goaltending prospect requests a trade out of Nashville after Saros deal

The Nashville Predators have been afforded the luxury of stout goaltending for almost two decades as they seamlessly transitioned from Pekka Rinne to Juuse Saros. After drafting Yaroslav Askarov with the 11th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the Predators looked to be set in goal for another decade, but reports are starting to trickle in that the youngster is growing disgruntled with the situation at hand in Nashville.

According to Predators reporter Michael Gallagher, Askarov's agent Dan Milstein spoke about his client's situation with a Russian news outlet, citing that he's NHL-ready and deserves an opportunity:

Heading into the trade deadline this past season, Saros' name was intensifying by the week. However, the Predators' late-season push solidified their stance on keeping him around for another season and once he became eligible for an extension, they wasted no time in signing him to an 8-year deal worth $61.92 million dollars.

It was an interesting move to say the least, considering that Askarov had been marinating in the AHL for the last few seasons and looked primed for a meaningful workload at the NHL-level this season.

Saros still had one year remaining on his deal, but extending him for another 8 seasons all but closed the door on Askarov's chances at becoming the starter in Nashville - at least in the near future.

Next, things took an unforeseen turn when the Predators signed backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood to a multi-year deal during the free agent frenzy. Adding depth is one thing, but to sign him to a two-year deal all but signifies that they expect him to backup Saros heading into 2024-25 and likely again in 2025-26, essentially putting up a roadblock for Askarov.

Askarov is just 22-years-old, but over the last 2 seasons, he's compiled a .911 SV% and a 2.50 GAA, while sporting a 56-29-6 record in 92 games played. He could potentially win a spot during training camp and supersede Wedgewood, but it seems likely that he's destined for another season in the minors, much to his chagrin.

The Russian netminder is a spectacular prospect and one the Predators don't want to let go of at the moment but things don't look so good right now.

The Maple Leafs have Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz locked in for at least the next two seasons, but if Askarov truly is available, Leafs GM Brad Treliving should absolutely check in, as young goaltender of Askarov's quality don't often become available.

Source for Yaroslav Askarov's statistics:
Yaroslav Askarov stats and bio