Yaroslav Askarov is now a member of the San Jose Sharks.
The Preds granted him his wish to be traded… And even though he decided to send him elsewhere, Barry Trotz is disappointed to see the prospect leave because he had a plan for him.
It makes the Preds GM think that today’s youth have too much power in the NHL:
Barry Trotz has a point.
We’ve reached the point where young players can practically decide their future if they’re unhappy with their respective organizations.
It’s part of the NHL’s new reality, like it or not…
According to Elliotte Friedman, the Habs were in the running for the services of the talented Russian goaltender.
In a way, this makes sense: Askarov’s name has been bandied about in town several times in the past year, because he wasn’t in an advantageous situation in Nashville.
But if Kent Hughes had moved to get him, you have to wonder what price the Montreal GM would have had to pay.
And in this regard, Craig Button(Sick Podcast) confessed that he wouldn’t have touched a guy like Owen Beck… Because the Habs are already counting on the services of Jacob Fowler :
Button talks about Owen Beck because the Sharks traded David Edstrom to Nashville in the trade.
Edstrom was drafted 32nd overall in 2023, while Beck was selected 33rd overall in 2022. The two players are very comparable.
That said, if you take Jacob Fowler out of the equation, it shows that Craig Button is particularly fond of Owen Beck.
Button sees him as a quality prospect who can become a 2B or 3A center… And he really believes in his potential.
That said, Button sees Fowler becoming an impact goaltender in the National League. He believes that adding a guy like Askarov would block doors for Fowler, even though Fowler won’t be ready to play in the NHL for at least two years.
A lot of people think that way.
On the other hand, the Canadiens could have counted on the services of a young goaltender who is ready to play in the NHL while waiting for Fowler, and it’s mainly for this reason that I feel this is a missed opportunity for Kent Hughes.
