Major: The big rumor is confirmed for the highly promising goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, and the Montreal Canadiens must take advantage of it
It's very rare for us to do this, but we're going to give our opinion here.
We want to clarify from the outset that we love Samuel Montembeault and truly believe in him. However, when looking at the full lineup of the Montreal Canadiens, including prospects and all, there seems to be a gap to fill.
What's missing is a young goaltender with the potential to become a 'superstar', a goaltender of the caliber of Igor Shesterkin or Ilya Sorokin. A successor to Carey Price.
Well, it turns out there's one currently available on the trade market, which is extremely rare.
In our opinion, Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens must absolutely seize this opportunity. (and they have the means to do it)
The rumor has been circulating since the 2023 draft, and there's been a lot of smoke around it ever since, but after Pierre LeBrun, now the GM of the Nashville Predators himself seems to confirm it.
Barry Trotz
In a lengthy interview about his goaltenders, Trotz praised some of his organization's netminders, like Juuse Saros and Kevin Lankinen (Saros' backup), but Askarov's name was omitted.
It's not against the young player, but it's clear that the Preds are 100% committed to Juuse Saros, who is still young. And understandably so, Saros is one of the best goalies in the world.
Therefore, even if he's destined for a very promising future in the NHL, Yaroslav Askarov doesn't seem to be part of GM Barry Trotz's plans. They won't need a number one goaltender for a long time.
It's no wonder he was reportedly offered in a trade to the Montreal Canadiens, for the 5th overall pick, by the Preds last June.
Do you also believe that Askarov should be a target for Kent Hughes?
Askarov, 21, is a 6-foot-3 goalie drafted in the 1st round (11th overall) in 2020 by Nashville. For quite some time, he's been viewed as the best goalie in the world yet to play in the NHL.
If we were the GM of the Habs, we'd absolutely go get him! Imagine a Montembeault-Askarov duo!
| POLL | ||
Would you offer Cayden Primeau, Filip Mesar, a 2nd round pick, and Riley Kidney, in exchange for Askarov? | ||
| Yes | 208 | 66.2 % |
| No | 106 | 33.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
