The Nashville Predators goalie prospect will soon experience it firsthand.
Selected in the first round (No. 11) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Askarov signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Predators on May 16.
The 20-year-old Russia native then made the long trip from Moscow to North America, settling temporarily in Wisconsin. Askarov spent about a month practicing with Milwaukee of the American Hockey League, the team he will likely play for in 2022-23.
"It's a great thing I came to Milwaukee," Askarov said through a translator at Predators development camp. "I was in awe of how good of a level it is in the AHL. I was very grateful I came at the end of the season because I got to experience it a little bit."
The Predators also believe Askarov's stint in Milwaukee will aid his progress on and off the ice.
That's in part because he played sparingly in Russia during the 2021-22 season. Askarov appeared in six games for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, where he had a 1.81 goals-against average and .913 save percentage.
"We're really excited for him, but we kind of have to be patient with him because he didn't play a whole lot last year," Predators assistant general manager and director of player development Scott Nichol said.
"But I think it was fantastic that he [spent time with Milwaukee] at the end of the year. We got a chance to look at him, practice with him and see him on the ice. He got a chance to start learning the language. He's got an infectious personality and is a super-nice kid. He's going to be a really good player for us."
Askarov (6-foot-3, 178 pounds) earned notoriety in 2019 when he made his KHL debut at 17, becoming the second-youngest goalie to start a game in the league. As an 18-year-old in the 2020-21 season, he had a 1.21 GAA and .951 save percentage in nine games.
More recently, he thrilled Predators fans watching the team's Future Stars game in Nashville last month. Askarov had a 25-minute shutout performance, and later stopped multiple penalty-shot attempts -- one by making a diving poke check on forward prospect Joakim Kemell, who the Predators selected in the first round (No. 17) of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Even with his impressive background, however, Askarov will have to earn the right to play in Milwaukee this season, where the right-catching goalie is likely to compete with fellow prospects Devin Cooley and Tomas Vomacka.
Eventually, the athletic Askarov will be expected to become the Predators' top goalie, a position now held by Juuse Saros.
But there's no rush.
"You have to temper those expectations just a little bit, because goaltending is a very difficult situation," Milwaukee coach Karly Taylor said. "It's just the hardest job in hockey.
"But his talent on the ice is evident, how he moves, how he communicates with the players and has banter with them. His personality really comes out. He's got a lot of energy for life, a very gregarious-type attitude. So there are a lot of really good things as a teammate you're looking for."
Photo courtesy: Nashville Predators
