San Jose Sharks acquire Yaroslav Askarov from Nashville Predators
The San Jose Sharks have made a bold move to try and secure a starting goalie for the future.
It was announced on Friday that the team had made a trade with the Nashville Predators, acquiring prospect goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, center Nolan Burke, and a 2025 third-round draft pick in exchange for center David Edstrom, goaltender Magnus Chrona and a 2025 first-round pick.
We have a trade to announce.
Details -> https://t.co/vVkOhHmPrP pic.twitter.com/0Yk4JFRd79
The trade comes in the wake of Askarov requesting a trade on Monday, and also announcing that he would not report to the Preds AHL team, the Milwaukee Admirals. The Predators had given an eight-year, $61.92 million contract extension to Juuse Saros earlier this offseason, which more or less cemented him as the team’s long-term starting goalie, while also giving a contract to Scott Wedgewood for this season, making Askarov’s path to the NHL a bit more complicated. With all that considered, Askarov was looking to move on to another team where he would have a better chance at an NHL role now, and a long-term starting gig.
Askarov will get just that with a Sharks team that is currently in a rebuilding phase, giving him time to develop his game at the NHL level while the team continues to improve with their growing prospect core. They currently have Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood signed to the team, but with a lot less on the line in terms of winning, it’s likely that they’ll give him more time in the NHL than he would have gotten with the Predators this season.
Askarov spent most of his 2023-24 season in the AHL with the Admirals, where he had a 30-13-1 record, a .911% save percentage, and six shutouts, along with a 2-3-0 record and an .882% save% in five playoff games. He also got into two games at the AHL level, winning one game and getting a .943% save%.
The big name going the other way is Edstrom, the 2023 32nd-overall selection of the Vegas Golden Knights who was dealt to the Sharks during the 2024 trade deadline as part of the return for Tomas Hertl. Edstrom spent a majority of his season with Frolunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League, where he had 7 goals and 12 assists for 19 points in 44 games, and 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points in 14 playoff games.
The Predators also get Chrona in the deal, a goaltender who was a fifth-round pick for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018. He spent most of his 2023-24 season with the San Jose Barracuda in the AHL, where he had a 6-17-6 record and an .894% save% in 31 games.
Joining Askarov in San Jose is Nolan Burke, an undrafted center who joined the Preds’ organization last year. He spent most of his 2023-24 season in the ECHL with the Atlanta Gladiators, where he had 5 goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 47 games played.
There are no reported conditions or protections on either pick acquired in the deal. The 2025 first-round selection that the Predators received belongs to the Golden Knights (originally acquired in the Hertl deal), while the 2025 third-round pick that the Sharks received belongs to the Colorado Avalanche (originally acquired in the trade that sent Yakov Trenin to the Avs).