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Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterNov 18, 2024, 02:33 PM ET
CloseRyan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN.
Yaroslav Askarov, one of the NHL’s top goaltending prospects, was called up Monday by the San Jose Sharks in a move that been expected since the start of the regular season.
All the questions surrounding Askarov’s impending arrival to the Sharks were further amplified by how he’s performed for the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. The 22-year-old Askarov is 6-3-0 with a 1.92 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage. He’s third in the AHL in save percentage while ranking sixth in both GAA and shots faced.
What was already considered to be a promising rebuild attracted even more expectations when the Sharks made a trade with the Nashville Predators in August to get Askarov. The Sharks received Askarov, forward Nolan Burke and a 2025 third-round pick in exchange for forward David Edstrom, a 2025 conditional first-round pick that originally belonged to the Vegas Golden Knights and goaltender Magnus Chrona.
The Sharks would sign Askarov to a two-year contract worth $2 million annually just hours after the trade.
The Sharks have used the last few years to build what’s considered to be one of the NHL’s strongest farm systems. San Jose has taken a major step forward in 2024, starting with the selection of former Boston University center Macklin Celebrini with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL draft. Celebrini shortly signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks within weeks of former Boston College center Will Smith, the club’s No. 4 pick in 2023, who also left school to sign with the team.
Entering Monday, the Sharks (5-10-4) were tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second-fewest points in the NHL. They also came into the day allowing 3.37 goals per game, the ninth-most in the league.
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/42469131/sharks-recall-touted-goalie-prospect-yaroslav-askarov
Author : Ryan Clark
Publish date : 2024-11-18 19:53:39
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