BREAKING: Askarov Has ‘Little’ Injury Setback

Yaroslav Askarov had a setback in his recovery from injury.

The San Jose Sharks’ goaltender of the future was expected to start tonight against the Ontario Reign. Askarov, however, was the second goalie on the ice for warm-ups, and he never returned after warm-ups. Gabriel Carriere was announced as the San Jose Barracuda starter and Aaron Dell, who was originally listed as a scratch, was the back-up.

“Little setback,” San Jose Barracuda head coach John McCarthy said after a 3-2 loss to the Ontario Reign on Wednesday. “They’re still kind of diagnosing it and figuring out what’s going on, but I don’t think it’s going to be long.”

Askarov has not played since sustaining a lower-body injury on Feb. 19 against these same Reign. McCarthy said that although Askarov tweaked his lower-body injury at “some point today,” he should travel with the team tomorrow and McCarthy believes he could be an option to play against the Pacific Division-leading Colorado Eagles this Friday or Saturday.

Carriere admitted that it was a surprise start, learning more or less before warm-ups that he was starting. Carriere surrendered two goals on his first two shots against, but stopped 16 of the next 17 shots.

“Always prepare the same and ready to go whenever,” he said.

“He’s a pretty even-keeled kid,” McCarthy said. “He doesn’t get flustered, so I just grabbed him, said, Hey, you’re in and business as usual for him.”

In other Barracuda injury news, San Jose Sharks’ 2022 first-round pick Filip Bystedt could be an option to play this Friday, per McCarthy. The big centerman will travel.

Forward Rem Pitlick, because of a personal matter, was out tonight. McCarthy wasn’t sure whether he would travel this weekend.

Defenseman Joey Keane is still out with an upper-body injury and is “hopefully week-to-week” according to McCarthy. He’s not traveling, putting further strain on a depleted Barracuda defense.

ATO’s Noah Beck, just signed by the San Jose Sharks, and Axel Landen, 2023 fifth-round pick, are also options to play this weekend.