Preds Add Franchise Goaltender in Askarov with 11th Pick in NHL Draft

The Predators believe they've just added a "franchise goaltender" to their organization.
With the 11th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Nashville selected Russian netminder Iaroslav Askarov, a transaction the club was thrilled to complete from their offices at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday night.
Preds General Manager David Poile, surrounded by members of his staff, such as Assistant General Managers Jeff Kealty and Brian Poile, as well as Chief Amateur Scout Tom Nolan, watched as the first 10 names went off the board in Round 1 of the virtual draft, and when pick No. 11 arrived, the group was thrilled to see Askarov's name still available.
So, in a draft littered with talent, why take a goaltender? For the Predators, the answer was simple.

"Iaroslav is an elite, elite prospect," Kealty said. "The talent level and the athleticism stands out right away. We compare his athleticism to that of Pekka Rinne or [Los Angeles Kings goalie] Jonathan Quick, and he's mature beyond his years in terms of his compete level and mental makeup. Even at such a young age, he's proven himself in a men's league by playing in the KHL over in Russia. We believe he was the best player available, and if you have a franchise goaltender on your hands, which we do believe he will be, you're in a very good situation."

Nashville always prefers to take who they believe to be the best player available at any point in a draft, no matter the position. In their minds, that was Askarov, an 18-year-old puck stopper from Omsk, Russia, whose potential rivals that of any goaltending prospect in the last decade or more.
The top-ranked international goaltender by NHL Central Scouting and the sixth Russian-born netminder to be selected in the first round in League history, Askarov stands 6-foot-4 and is lauded for his athleticism and competitiveness in the net.
Askarov has appeared in three games for SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL this season, going 2-1-0 with a 0.74 goals-against average, .974 save percentage and one shutout. He backstopped Team Russia to gold-medal performances at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge where he was named a tournament all-star. Askarov was also named the best goaltender and a tournament all-star at the 2019 Under-18 World Championship where he helped his country earn a silver medal.
The teenager joined a video call just minutes after Predators Captain Roman Josi, on hand to assist with the draft festivities, announced Askarov's name to the world. He doesn't speak much English, but Askarov's smile communicated exactly how he was feeling back home in Russia during the wee hours of the morning.

Through a translator, Askarov exuded confidence, stating he intends to one day be the best goalie in the NHL. He also added he doesn't know much about the city of Nashville, but he's well aware of the reputation owned by Predators fans and the atmosphere at Bridgestone Arena. No doubt he'd like to experience it in person soon enough.
The Preds would like that too, and although it may be a bit of a wait while Askarov continues to develop and finish out his current contract in the KHL, the expectation is he'll be ready to become a No. 1 goaltender in the NHL when he makes his way to Nashville.
"[He's] just all the things that you look for in a modern-day goaltender," Kealty said. "He's big, he's athletic, he's aggressive, he reads the play extremely well… He's a guy that's been on our radar for quite a while, and we really feel he fits the bill as a franchise goaltender."
Kealty says the Preds have had eyes on Askarov for the past couple of years, and it's understandable with the accolades he's already accrued. And while there's never a guarantee as to how things will turn out, there's more than enough optimism to go around when it comes to Askarov.
Experts are already pairing Askarov's name in the same breath as some of the top goalies to ever play the game. For reasons like those, and so much more, the Predators knew exactly what they wanted to do when the time came.
"There's risk in anything that you do, but at the end of the day, you want to get the best player," Kealty said. "You get this type of player in a franchise goaltender, that's worth gold in your organization for a long time… His ability and the way he plays, it falls right in line with the top goaltenders in the game today, so we were very comfortable [to make the selection]."