Sharks Make Deal For Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov From Nashville
Mike Grier Solidifies Goaltending Depth With A Highly Coveted Prospect
This afternoon, Sharks General Manager Mike Grier announced the team's latest additions to the roster by acquiring goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, a 2025 third-round draft pick (Colorado's choice), and forward Nolan Burke from the Nashville Predators. In return, the club has traded David Edstrom, a 2025 first-round selection (Vegas's choice), and goaltender Magnus Chrona.
Askarov was originally selected by Nashville in the 2020 NHL Draft (first round, 11th overall). During the 2023-24 season, he was a standout player for the Milwaukee Admirals, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of Nashville, where he appeared in 44 games. With an impressive 30-13-1 record, he secured six shutouts and boasted a 2.39 GAA and .911 SV%.
He played in two games for Nashville last season. In those games, he had a 1-0-0 record with a 1.47 goals-against average (GAA) and a .943 save percentage (SV%), having stopped 33 of 35 shots. His three NHL appearances have been with Nashville, where he has a 2.58 GAA and .914 SV%.
Grier stated “Yaroslav is a goaltender who has the tools to become an everyday NHL goaltender, his ability to position himself effectively, vision, and athletic ability have been on display in the last few seasons, and he is a strong young addition to our goaltending group. We are happy to have him a part of the organization.”
The other player acquired in the deal is Nolan Burke, 21, who primarily played for the Atlanta Gladiators in the ECHL, appearing in 47 games and scoring 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists). He also played one game for the Admirals last season. Before going pro, the 6'1", 185-pound forward played for the Sarnia Sting for parts of four seasons, tallying 154 points (90 goals, 64 assists) in 177 games.
Mike Grier continues to make savvy moves in this rebuild essentially taking the picks and players from the Tomas Hertl trade and adding a top-flight young goalie prospect which the franchise desperately needed. The young core of the Sharks is coming together with elite forward prospects in Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Quentin Musty, solid defensemen in Sam Dickinson and Shakir Mukhamadullin, and now an elite goaltender between the pipes in Yaroslav Askarov.
Great Job!