San Jose Sharks
VIDEO: Yaroslav Askarov, Will Smith Join Sharks’ Captain’s Skate
Yaroslav Askarov has landed.
The San Jose Sharks’ highly-touted goaltending prospect, acquired from the Nashville Predators last month, has arrived in the Bay Area after a summer in Russia.
Askarov joined Captain’s Skate on Monday in a plain white mask.
2023 fourth-overall pick Will Smith also joined the practice. 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini is in Las Vegas, taking part in the NHL Player Media Tour.
Will Smith is here too pic.twitter.com/tKqccvn6cm
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) September 9, 2024
To the eye, Will Smith does look bigger than he did at development camp just two months ago. Definitely curious to hear with his physical numbers are when we talk to him before Rookie Faceoff
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) September 9, 2024
Here’s the full list of San Jose Sharks and Barracuda players on the ice on Monday: Will Smith (2), Henry Thrun (3), Cody Ceci (4), Nico Sturm (7), Klim Kostin (10), Luke Kunin (11), development coach Patrick Marleau (12), Quentin Musty (13), Kasper Halttunen (14), Filip Bystedt (18), Fabian Zetterlund (20), Alex Wennberg (21), Barclay Goodrow (23), Jack Thompson (26), Mackenzie Blackwood (29), Yaroslav Askarov (30), Georgi Romanov (31), Mario Ferraro (38), Vitek Vanecek (41), Scott Sabourin (49), Collin Graf (51), Ty Dellandrea (53), Ethan Cardwell (56), Jake Furlong (61), Roman Kinal (63), Brandon Coe (70), William Eklund (72), Tyler Toffoli (73), Danil Gushchin (75), Anthony Vincent (76), Valtteri Pulli (77), Shakir Mukhamadullin (85), Carl Grundstrom (91), and Jake Walman (96).
Notably, free agent signing Wennberg is wearing No. 21. Goaltender Aaron Dell, sporting an Ontario Reign jersey, was also on the ice, helping out.
Here’s an extended look at Askarov’s day: Askarov (sporting a white mask) jumps on the ice with Vitek Vanecek, Danil Gushchin (assist from Smith?) greets Askarov with a well-placed shot, Askarov stops Brandon Coe and shovels the puck into the corner, and finally, Askarov stonewalls San Jose Sharks development coach Patrick Marleau in 3-on-3.
What’s Next for Rookie Faceoff Prospects? Who’s Making Sharks, Barracuda?
Vibes Check: Cardwell Shares Sharks’ Off-Ice Fun, Best Nicknames From Rookie Faceoff (+)
SOURCE: Cagnoni Will Go Pro This Year
It’s Just Rookie Faceoff, But Sharks Are Wiping Teams Off the Map
Sharks Fans Excited To Be Part of History: How Some Got Tough Rookie Faceoff Tix
What Does Rest of NHL Think of Askarov Trade, His Maturity? (+)
Evgeni Nabokov on Yaroslav Askarov: ‘This is not just another goalie that we acquired’
Barabanov on Last Year’s Sharks: ‘The team played primitive hockey’
BREAKING: Sharks Acquire Askarov for Edstrom, Vegas 1st-Round Pick
One NHL Scout’s Thoughts About Ceci Trade (+)
Nolan Burke Played Hurt Last Year, Looking Forward to ‘Better Path’ With Sharks
Musty on Working With Crosby’s Trainer, Getting Quicker
Mukhamadullin Getting Stronger, Talks Long Friendship With Askarov
Will Smith Talks Getting Stronger, Living With Patrick Marleau
Sheng the mailbox was a treat. Thanks for circling back to my question a bunch.
Keep up the great work.
Hey Sheng, how does Kostin look? Very high on him and would love to know if he put in the work over the summer? Thanks!
With Couture unlikely to start the season, things definitely look better for Kostin. But still not great. I initially thought he’d be kind of a natural replacement for Couture in the top six, but looking at things more closely I’m not sure. Eklund, Granlund and Zetterlund are locks and probably start the season together. Celebrini and Toffoli are locks as well, and likely to start the season together. If they do, I would bet big money on the coaching staff insulating Celebrini with another natural center on his left. That rules out Kostin, so let’s say the second line is… Read more »
Kostin is a different type of player than almost everyone listed. Dude is a power winger (listed as a center?) with skill and physicality and a known fighter. He can potentially play on any line due to his attributes. If he’s in shape my bet is he’s more a lock than grundstrom or Dellandrea. Gush & Bords are no real threat to him making the roster. Musty just has to beat out out these 2 to make the team IMO which he should be able to do especially at his size. Sharks will likely carry 14 forwards to start the… Read more »
“He’s their Ryane Clowe.” God I love it when you talk like this.
If he hits, Ryane Clowe is actually a really strong comparable. He’s a bit of an anomaly, in that his pro-level production rates were actually fairly similar to his production rates down levels. That would be Kostin’s track as well, but it is a pretty rare scenario.
My Clowe reference is more about how when Couture was breaking into the NHL, Clowe was his personal body guard. If Kostin produces offense like Clowe that would be gravy. I’m more concerned with having a guy that can play some skillful hockey and also protect the young kids.
Exactly. The 2 things you want on the line with Celebrini are skill and toughness. That was Clowe.
What he doesn’t need in 2024, is top line talent on his wings. That’s for a year or 2 down the road.
I still am just not sure what Kostin has shown to make people believe there’s another level to his game. Even with players that hit their peaks later, there are many indicators along the way that demonstrate untapped potential. There are a few examples that come to mind, Tyler Toffoli is one. Chris Kreider is another. Guys who have taken their production to a significantly higher level later in their NHL careers. Both were big scorers down levels, whether it was juniors, college or the AHL. Let’s take another late bloomer, Zach Hyman, as an example. It always took him… Read more »
He doesn’t need to be any of those late bloomers you’re referencing. You’re comparing apples to oranges. Torrolli is really nothing more than a trigger at this point. A small trigger with one trick. Good trick, but one trick. Hyman is playing with 2 of the greatest players ever. His numbers are incredibly inflated. Can’t compare him and his situation at all. I liked Kostin when he was with the oilers. Granted I didn’t watch many games but what little I saw was a big guy with puck skill who was physical. Kostin just needs to be productive and provide… Read more »
Meant to say St Louis not Detroit.
That I wholeheartedly agree with. Whatever they’re doing in Detroit currently doesn’t seem to be working. I don’t think Kostin is anything special, but he’s measurably better than Detroit made him look.
I didn’t mean to imply that he needs to be any of those players, I just tried to pick three high profile and easily relatable examples of late bloomers because the vast majority of them follow the same trend. Big numbers levels down, an adjustment period, and then big numbers in the NHL. You mentioned Ryane Clowe as a comparable, which I thought was really apt, because he’s one of the few whose down-level career didn’t necessarily telegraph future NHL success. I know Grier and Quinn had good things to say about Kostin after he was acquired, but Quinn is… Read more »
Weinberg is Couture insurance Nothing more. All the other guys acquired our fourth liners. Some are penalty killers brought in for that specific skill. None offer the combination of size and skill that Kostin does. Grier wanted competition. They’re not going to hand jobs out to anybody. They’re going to have to earn them.
I will be absolutely amazed if Bordeleau takes a roster spot ahead of Kostin if Kostin shows up in shape. Production being similar completely misses the point of why Bordeleau is not an NHL regular yet. Too small, unable to make plays under pressure from NHL talent. If he does make the NHL roster out of camp with no injuries to any of the other players, he must have had one hell of a summer.
I don’t believe you will be wrong but just in case I’ll take a Moxie pie please. 😋
Good choice, dude.
Are you up in Portland? Always looking to watch games with fellow Sharks fans.
Unfortunately it’s me that’s in Portland. 😀
To be fair, I believe Joseph is just as likely to be right as I am. I choose to be optimistic.
But… what the hell is a Moxie pie….?
I can not argue with your assessment on where Kostin’s game is presently but there is something he brings that not one player can, and it is size, nastiness and net front presence. Kunin fights at times but he does not have the size to really stand up to other players and could get the worst end of it more than not. Also, Kunin has shown he should not be running in the top six talent-wise and does not bring anything to compliment the expected Celebrini/Toffoli pair. What do those two bring? Celebrini does a lot of things really good.… Read more »
I wouldn’t assume the Lund line stays together. Their advanced stats sucked. They just “looked” good because the rest of the team was so bad. All 3 are around 5’10”. Eklund seems to be the tallest but also the lightest. Not a recipe for success IMO.
True, but they are the only line that played together and I think that would not be a bad idea to have a line that played together before to start the season. Still, not having them together would be cool. Gonna be fun for sure!
Nothing from one of the worst teams of the cap era should be safe.
lol, point taken.