When Will Askarov Be Back? Sharks Send Top Prospect Down

It was short n’ sweet, and I’m not talking about Sabrina Carpenter.

On Tuesday, the San Jose Sharks sent top goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov back to the AHL and recalled defenseman Jack Thompson.

The Sharks currently have a full 23-man roster, 14 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goalies.

Askarov made an indelible impression during his brief time with the Sharks, exciting with his athletic puck-stopping talent, hair-raising puckhandling, and hilarious press conferences.

The 22-year went 1-0-1 with a .927 Save % and gave San Jose Sharks fans a thrilling tease for their future between the pipes.

However, the Sharks currently have two other veteran NHL-caliber netminders healthy in Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek. San Jose wasn’t going to carry three goalies forever, which they’ve been doing since last week.

It’s only a matter of time before Askarov takes a permanent place in the San Jose Sharks’ crease. Both Blackwood and Vanecek are trade candidates and pending UFAs, while Askarov is signed through the 2026-27 season. You figure once one of Blackwood and Vanecek move on, Askarov will be back.

It was an exciting week with Askarov, and there’s more to come!