There was no way Yaroslav Askarov was ever pushing Juuse Saros aside, especially with Saros signing an eight-year, $74.4-million extension, coupled with GM Barry Trotz going all in to sign free-agents Steve Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei in a win-now philosophy. Didn’t much matter that the Russian Askarov and the Swede Jesper Wallstedt were the best young goalies trying to fight their way to the NHL.
So, Trotz sent the chafing-for-NHL-employment Askarov to San Jose in August for a 2025 first-round pick and Swedish centre David Edstrom, with Sharks’ GM Mike Grier badly in need of a net presence to go with his centrepiece Macklin Celebrini, and help coming on defence with Sam Dickinson, on Canada’s world junior team for this Christmas tournament in Ottawa.
And, off Saturday’s dazzling 40-save performance against Edmonton Oilers, despite the 3-2 Sharks’ OT loss, when he was just 17.3 seconds from the third-period finish line, with save after save, wave after wave coming his way, Askarov looks very much like the real deal. While Zach Hyman beat the 22-year-old under the bar, unguarded, in the seventh minute, Askarov didn’t give up another until the 59thminute when the unguarded Mattias Ekholm blasted one past the diving tender.
Then, it was the usual Connor McDavid to Leon Draisaitl winner in OT, the eighth GWG for Draisaitl, on his sixth shot of the game after he had banged one off the iron earlier in the third. Tough ending for the kid, who played in this building three years ago in the world juniors for Russia, but a learning experience for him and the team because they quite possibly could have the goalie of the present and the future.
“It’s tough to win championships,” said former Oilers coach-GM Glen Sather, “without a young goalie to go with the young forwards and the young defence.” He had Grant Fuhr and Andy Moog in the early glory days to go with Paul Coffey and Kevin Lowe on defence, Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson up front.
The rebuilding Sharks are a long way from that embarrassment of riches, of course, but they do have Will Smith to help Celebrini up front. But, in more present terms, another Russian goalie, Andrei Vasilevsky, was what the Tampa Bay Lightning needed to go with Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, Stamkos and Brayden Point.
Askarov, who was sent back to the AHL last month because they were going with Blackwood and the currently injured Vanecek, has played three games for the Sharks. He’s given up seven goals on 97 shots, with a .928 save percentage.
Askarov saw way too much of McDavid, who had three assists in 25:19, at times looking if he was centering all four lines. But, he loved it Saturday afternoon.
“This was crazy. First game against him, but it was fun to play against him. Yeah, McDavid and Draisaitl,” said Askarov.
Except in the OT. First rush up ice, and bang, Draisaitl puts it in the net.
“I thought he was going to shoot it high so I raised my shoulder,” said Askarov, who stumbled on the 20-footer. “Instead, it went along the ice.”
Maybe the only mistake, even a minor one, he made all night.
Former Oilers defenceman Cody Ceci, traded in August for Ty Emberson and back here for the first time, on his 31st birthday, thought the Sharks spent way too much time defending, which made it even harder for Askarov, whose greatest save attribute seems to be his legs, just like Vasilevsky. He’s great side to side and his head was on a swivel as the Oilers threw the puck around, especially the McDavid-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins-Hyman line, when McDavid wasn’t with Draisaitl or somebody else.
“Different being on the other side of it,” admitted Ceci, who spent three years here. “They got rolling around and it’s tough to stop, especially when you’re late in your shift. That’s when they do their damage,” said Ceci, who was on when Ekholm scored, with Calvin Pickard pulled.
The Ekholm shot was the Oilers’ 42nd. Askarov faced twice as many shots as Pickard, who did have to rob Celebrini early in the third on a 2-on-1 break to keep it 2-1 for San Jose. “When a goalie has a lot of shots, it’s easier to play. Probably for Pickard … it was harder,” said Askarov, tipping his mask to the Oilers backup.
But, clearly, Askarov was the story in this one.
And the trip to the AHL Barracuda, who play in the same town, obviously didn’t hurt him any last month. They didn’t tell him he had to refine or redefine his game, just get some games in. They traded Blackwood to Colorado for Alexandar Georgiev when he was in the minors, and now he’s back, for good.
“The big thing was letting Asky be himself,” said Sharks’ coach Ryan Warsofsky.
“Yeah, we wanted him to clean up some things in his game but he’s a thoroughbred. You’ve got to let him run here a little bit, and Macklin (Celebrini), same way.”
“This is a God-given talent that they have,” said Warsofsky