The San Jose Sharks are in the middle of a rebuild right now, but they might have a future star between the pipes in goaltender Yaroslav Askarov. With a stellar performance against the Edmonton Oilers where he almost stole a victory against one of the top teams in the NHL stopping 39 of 42 shots in a 3-2 overtime loss, fans were given a taste of his potential considering belief from many fans and scouts that he could become one of the strongest goaltenders in the entire league. While it was just one game, his career stats prove it may not have just been a one-time thing. Through eight career games played, he has won two, posting a 2.61 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .915 save percentage (SV%). This season, he has one win in five games posting a 2.62 GAA and a .915 SV%.
Related: Sharks’ Last 2 Games Show They Shouldn’t Rush Askarov
Askarov, who is 22 years old, was drafted in the first round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft at 11th overall by the Nashville Predators after a strong season in the VHL with SKA-Neva St. Petersburg where he posted a 2.45 GAA and a .920 SV% through 18 games. In the 2018-19 season, he played in the MHL with SKA-Varyagi St. Petersburg where he posted a 2.37 GAA and a .921 SV% through 31 games. At the 2021 U20 World Junior Championship, he represented his home country of Russia playing in six games posting a 2.50 GAA and a .914 SV%. Fans were concerned when he played one game with the Predators in the 2022-23 season where he posted a 4.15 GAA and a .886 SV%, but it seems it was just nerves considering what he’s been able to accomplish since then.
Askarov played two games with the Predators in the 2023-24 season posting a 1.47 GAA and a .943 SV%. He spent most of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Milwaukee Admirals. He was traded to the Sharks in August of 2024, along with forward Nolan Burke and a 2025 third-round pick that originally belonged to the Colorado Avalanche. In return, the Predators acquired forward David Edstrom, goaltender Magnus Chrona, and a conditional 2025 first-round pick that originally belonged to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The domination has continued in the AHL for Askarov, who has played 14 games with the San Jose Barracuda this season posting a 2.00 GAA and a .938 SV%. His calmness between the pipes at the minor-league level has been impressive to watch and he continues to show why he can be a starting goalie at the NHL level. He has to outplay Alexandar Georgiev and Vitek Vanecek, who both have more experience than Askarov if he wants to become a starter sooner rather than later. Georgiev’s struggles and Vanecek’s inconsistency may give the Sharks a reason to fast-track his development into a starting role, but there isn’t any reason to rush him.
Askarov Could Be Final Piece to Rebuilding Puzzle
When you look at how strong the Sharks’ prospect pool is, it’s hard not to view them as having the brightest future in the NHL. Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Sam Dickinson, Quentin Musty, and Kasper Halttunen are just a few youngsters developing in their system right now, making them one of the most exciting teams to keep tabs on as the years go on.
As mentioned though, the Sharks are currently rebuilding. With that being said, there is no reason to rush any of their prospects before they’re ready and hurt their development in any way, and that includes Askarov. Leaving him to be a starter in the AHL and gain confidence is a smarter decision than having him play his heart out at the NHL level and still getting defeated. Either way, he will be their future starter, it’s a matter of when they decide to bring him up permanently.
He is in a much better situation with the Sharks and seems poised to be their starter at some point down the line. The problem with playing him too much in the NHL during a rebuild is that the team risks his confidence taking a hit if he isn’t racking up wins. He has proven he can steal games and help his team win, but there is currently no reason for them to fast-track his development and hope he can be the savior to end the rebuild and begin contending. The Sharks will be contenders within the next few seasons, the key to success will be how patient they are with their prospects.
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