Evgeni Nabokov on Yaroslav Askarov: ‘This is not just another goalie that we acquired’

“This is not just another goalie that we acquired.”

That’s how San Jose Sharks director of goaltending Evgeni Nabokov views Yaroslav Askarov, according to Sergey Demidov at RG.org.

On Friday, the Sharks acquired top goaltending prospect Askarov from the Nashville Predators, along with a 2025 third-round pick and Nolan Burke, for David Edstrom, Magnus Chrona, and the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2025 first-round pick.

“He wants to be a franchise goalie, and we want to help him with that,” Nabokov told RG. “But to achieve that, you need many qualities. You don’t just have to be a good goalie on the ice, but you also have to be hard-working, mentally stable, get along with your teammates, be a leader. He has to be the backbone of the team; for that, you need character and be special.”

Nabokov, who tended goal in the NHL from 2000 to 2015, starring mostly for the Sharks, believes in Askarov: “As far as I understand, he has all of that. Now, we’ll see how he does. We’ll create all the conditions for him, but the main thing will depend on him.”

Nabokov also suggested that the San Jose Sharks’ starting job will be an open training camp competition between Askarov and veteran incumbents Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek.

Check out the full Nabokov interview at RG.org! Nabokov shares an “encouraging” sign that he’s already received from Askarov. He also discusses the opportunity before his star pupil.