Askarov, McGroarty and more: Scouting reports on 10 recently moved NHL prospects

Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

If you spent the past week, say, at a cottage or getting sucked into Mario Kart tournaments, you probably missed quite a bit of hockey news.

The NHL’s post-July 1 news cycle had been pretty slow, but last week signified one of the busiest flurries of transactions in recent summer history. Among them, Patrik Laine is a Montreal Canadien, Cody Ceci was dumped to the San Jose Sharks, Cody Glass went from Nashville to Pittsburgh, and the Edmonton Oilers elected to move on from Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway after they accepted offer sheets with the St. Louis Blues.

But perhaps the most interesting news pieces came on the prospect front. The league saw multiple teams swap prospects, including a rare 1-for-1 that saw Winnipeg move Rutger McGroarty to Pittsburgh in exchange for Brayden Yager. Yaroslav Askarov, one of the best goaltending prospects in the game, was moved to San Jose – which, given how rare goalie trades are these days, was quite something.

If you want to learn about your team’s newest prospect, we’ve got you covered. Here’s what you need to know about 10 players moved over the past week:

Yaroslav Askarov, G, 22 (San Jose Sharks)

The Sharks were desperately missing a goaltender of the future, and they got one while trading away from a position of strength with center David Edstrom. Askarov is one of the best goaltending prospects in the world, but when the Nashville Predators signed Scott Wedgewood to a two-year deal, you could see the writing on the wall. GM Barry Trotz said some of Askarov’s “on-ice antics” influenced the team’s decision to trade him, with his penchant for more high-energy celebrations (although the Milwaukee Admirals made sure to play into it).

Even though the season fell apart slightly in the closing stages, it was quite the year for the two-time AHL all-star. He posted a 30-13-1 record with six shutouts and a .911 save percentage, with his season highlighted by a 14-game win streak in the winter. By all accounts, the 6-foot-4 keeper is ready for full-time NHL duty – and Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood are both signed until the end of 2024-25 and if either falters, you have to think it won’t take much for the Sharks to call upon Askarov. With the Sharks already boasting one of the best pipelines in hockey, this gives them something to get excited about in the crease.

Nolan Burke, C, 21 (San Jose Sharks)

Some people feel more confident in Burke than I do. The undrafted free agent signing had an excellent final year with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting in 2022-23, but he struggled as a pro player, putting up just five goals and 15 points in 47 games with the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators. He did have a decent showing with Milwaukee to cap off the AHL season but he still came up without a point.

The biggest question is what type of player the Sharks see Burke as right now. He’s got an excellent shot and has tremendous energy. He’s often used in net-front situations and he thinks the game at a high level, something that allowed him to be so dangerous in his final year in the AHL. But Burke has always struggled in his own zone, preventing him from being an all-around threat. I think he’d top out as a fourth-liner at best, but, right now, I’m not sure I see that materializing because I don’t think he’s got enough to allow him to take the next step forward. But we’ll see.

David Edstrom, C, 19 (Nashville Predators)

It always felt like the Sharks acquired Edstrom as a trade chip to begin with in the deal that sent Tomas Hertl to Vegas last spring. Edstrom emerged as one of the Golden Knights’ top prospects after they took him in the first round in 2023, only to be moved like just about every other Vegas first-rounder. Edstrom does have his NHL entry-level contract already, but is expected to return to Frolunda for a second full year in the SHL before potentially getting a shot in the AHL at the end of the season.

Edstrom is a great two-way player who does so many small things right, making him useful at both ends of the ice. He proved at the U-18 World Championship prior to his draft that he could play with high-quality scorers and he was one of the main reasons why the Swedes advanced to the gold medal game. I’d like to see him have more of a killer instinct to win more physical battles, especially since he’s 6-foot-3 and just under 200 pounds. But I do think Edstrom has the makings of a versatile middle-six forward who can outthink his opponents and snipe 15-20 goals past goaltenders.

Magnus Chrona, G, 23 (Nashville Predators)

The Preds obviously traded the better goalie away, but they got an intriguing one in return. Chrona played in the NHL, AHL and ECHL as a first-year pro in 2023-24, an extremely rare feat for anyone. Chrona had a losing record at all levels, including a 1-6-1 record with the Sharks, but he had to deal with some absolutely atrocious defending in front of him on a nightly basis.

Before turning pro, Chrona was a star at Denver. He had four shutouts and a 22-9-0 record in his senior season, winning NCHC goaltender of the year honors. He also was a big part of the school’s national title in 2022, with many expecting Chrona to turn pro after that. We know he can rise to the occasion when he’s got support around him, and he’s 6-foot-6, which doesn’t hurt. He still needs some time in the AHL, but he’s a legit goaltending prospect who many think can be a decent backup one day, at least.

Jordan Frasca, C, 23 (Nashville Predators)

Frasca has had his ups and downs over the past few years, and was really just a cap dump to help move out Cody Glass. But could a new environment help spark something here? Frasca showed enough improvement in his final year in the OHL to suggest he could be a decent depth scorer, and he did show significant improvement at both ends of the ice with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers last year. If you’re a betting man, though, expect Frasca to remain an AHLer for the time being. And that’s fine, you need competent minor leaguers, too.

Rutger McGroarty, C/LW, 20 (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Let me put this out in the air right now: let McGroarty start the season with Sidney Crosby. The winger’s ability to score, hit and outwork opponents makes him so intriguing, and I fully believe he’d be an excellent addition up front. McGroarty is a good two-way center, too, but I want to see him getting comfortable in the big leagues on a high note because I fully believe he can handle it.

Scouts love him. I love him. McGroarty does so much with and without the puck that I feel gets overlooked. He’s got size and speed, and the offense has been incredible this year, with him blasting past the 50-point mark as a sophomore in college. McGroarty battles so hard that, if he isn’t scoring, he’s still doing enough to keep himself relevant on the scoresheet. The World Juniors was proof of that. And I’m excited that he’s set for full-time pro duty this year because there wasn’t much more for him to prove at Michigan.

Adding McGroarty now gives the Penguins immediate help. And they desperately need it if they’re going to keep the dream alive with Sid and Evgeni still around.

Brayden Yager, C, 19 (Winnipeg Jets)

Some of the comparisons used for Yager over the past week have been… interesting, to say the least. But he’s still a quality player that I really believe in. Yager was far and away the best prospect in Pittsburgh’s system, and maybe the only one with a realistic shot of being a top-six forward. Right now, he’s not the clear No. 1 with Winnipeg, but I do see a solid NHL future for him still.

Yager had a wonderful 35-goal, 95-point season with Moose Jaw and was one of just a few Canadian World Junior players who seemed to do anything last winter. The dynamic, goal-scoring forward has one of the better shots in the WHL, and he fights for the puck on every shift as if his career depends on it. I loved Yager in my live viewings at the Buffalo Prospect Challenge last summer, and I can’t wait to see what he’s capable of as one of the WHL’s most dominant players this year. Yager is also quite good in the faceoff dot, too, which doesn’t hurt.

Yager will have more support in Winnipeg’s system, but more competition, too. Still, I see someone who can be a decent middle-six, two-way forward, but I want to see him become a more explosive skater and dominate more shifts as an older junior player this year.

Vasily Podkolzin, RW, 23 (Edmonton Oilers)

Nobody needed a change of scenery more on this list than Podkolzin. The Russian winger made a big splash in 2021-22, playing 79 games with the Vancouver Canucks in his first year in North America. He put up a respectable 14 goals and 26 points in 79 games with Vancouver, with expectations ramping up in his sophomore campaign. Instead, he struggled and spent half of 2022-23 in the AHL and then had just two points in 19 NHL games last season, while primarily spending time in Abbotsford.

At this point, there aren’t many believers in Podkolzin’s game, but he does have an opportunity for a fresh start with an organization that will give him some quality centers to play alongside if he’s able to put the work in. Many thought he was taken way too early back in 2019, with Podkolzin often struggling to keep up with the pace in the KHL. That’s not uncommon for a draft-eligible prospect, but the warning signs were there from the start, and he hasn’t been able to make it work in the NHL yet. Will that change in Oil Country? Who knows.

Paul Fischer, D, 19 (Edmonton Oilers)

Fischer is an interesting prospect because you saw someone with such little offensive upside from the time watching him at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. But with 16 points in 34 games as a freshman at Notre Dame, Fischer seemingly exceeded all expectations. I then was really impressed with how engaged he was at both ends of the ice with the USA at the World Junior Summer Showcase, and he should be in the hunt to make the team this December.

But the real driving force behind Fischer’s game is his defensive play. He doesn’t get lulled into pinching or overcommitting and doesn’t make a ton of mistakes with the puck. Fischer is best when you don’t notice him or when he’s keeping puck distribution simple from his own zone. I think Fischer is far from a guarantee to make the NHL, but he’s safe enough that coaches won’t have to worry about him being too accident-prone.

Philip Broberg, D, 23 (St. Louis Blues)

Like Podkolzin, who has more than 100 games of NHL experience, Broberg isn’t really an NHL prospect anymore after skating in 81 games over the past three years. But he’s included here because he hasn’t been able to establish himself in a full-time role yet, having primarily spent the last year with AHL Bakersfield. Broberg’s selection at No. 8 in 2019 was questionable at the time, but nobody could deny his skill with the puck. That was evident during his time with the Condors, where he put up 38 points in 49 games this year as the team’s primary puck distributor. Broberg also impressed during his 10 playoff games with Edmonton, helping to boost his stock heading into the summer.

But Broberg now boasts a cap hit of $4.58 million – which, frankly, is ridiculous for a player who has struggled for consistency. He can move the puck, sure, but he’s a defenseman, and he can struggle at that too much for my liking. We did see some serious improvement this past year, but nothing that screamed “big payday.” The Oilers dodged a bullet here, but the Blues now have a chance to turn Broberg into an everyday contributor and prove people wrong. I just think it’s a risky bet.