The Edmonton Oilers need to make some changes if they hope to turn their season around and bounce back from their awful start to the 2023-24 season. They recently waived goaltender Jack Campbell and assigned him to the American Hockey League (AHL) to play with the Bakersfield Condors with the hope he can find his confidence and make a return to the NHL later this season. With a struggling tandem between the pipes of what was supposed to be a Stanley Cup contender, the team has seemingly turned to the trade market and has begun gauging their options for solutions going forward.
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Oilers insider Ryan Rishaug was on the “Got Yer Back” podcast yesterday (Nov. 8) talking about the team’s early season struggles, and mentioned that the Nashville Predators may have the solution the Oilers are looking for, and not in superstar Juuse Saros. Rishaug instead pointed the finger towards a goaltender currently in the AHL, Yaroslav Askarov, who has yet to find his spot in the NHL but might be somebody the Preds consider parting with for the right price.
Askarov only has one NHL game under his belt but has been stellar in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals during his early professional career. While I don’t believe he is the best choice for the Oilers given their current situation of needing a proven goaltender to help backstop them to success, considering Askarov as a long-term project isn’t something any Oilers fan should close the door to.
Who Is Yaroslav Askarov & How Can He Benefit the Oilers?
Askarov is a 21-year-old goaltender from Omsk, Russia currently playing within the Predators organization. He was drafted in the first round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the Predators at 11th overall after a stellar season in the VHL with SKA-Neva St. Petersburg where he posted a 2.45 goals-against average (GAA) and a .920 save percentage (SV%) through 18 games. In the same season, he represented Russia at the World Junior Championship and posted a 2.71 GAA with a .877 SV% through five games.
Askarov has dominated at the AHL level since joining the Admirals last season, where he posted a 2.69 GAA and a .911 SV% through 48 games. He got called up to the Predators and played one game where his stat line was a 4.15 GAA and a .886 SV%, proving he wasn’t quite ready for the NHL yet. This season with the Admirals, Askarov has been one of the best goaltenders in the AHL posting a 1.60 GAA and a .935 SV% through five games.
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While Askarov is likely ready for another shot at the NHL level and will probably do better than the Oilers’ tandem has been this season, he is still a risky pickup as someone that is unproven. The one game he played last season at the NHL level showed he still needed some fine-tuning in the minors before he makes the jump.
Aside from being unproven, bringing in Askarov would automatically upgrade the Oilers’ goaltending. With how bad both Stuart Skinner and Campbell have been up until this point in the season, they have nothing to lose by bringing in a project. I think the team will do their due diligence elsewhere before looking at Askarov, but he isn’t the worst option if the team wants a fresh face between the pipes.
What Would It Cost the Oilers?
After doing some research and seeing what the possible return would be, there is a reason to believe that the asking price for Askarov would be higher than I originally expected. He is a strong goaltender with a high ceiling and tons of potential but even with that, he is still unproven. If I were the Oilers, I would be offering something along the lines of Vincent Desharnais, Xavier Bourgault, and a second-round draft pick.
The Oilers need to make a change, and it starts with the goaltending. They have plenty of other issues to tackle but their goaltending is the biggest problem right now, and that was proven in their loss to the San Jose Sharks last night which tied them for dead last in the league. This team needs a change, and they need to make one fast before the season cannot be saved and they’re back near the bottom of the standings.