Predators select goalie Yaroslav Askarov with 11th overall pick

The Nashville Predators bolstered their future between the pipes by drafting goaltender Yaroslav Askarov with the 11th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft.

Yaroslav Askarov

Position: G
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 176 lbs
Age: 18
Club: SKA St. Petersburg
Nationality: Russia

(Stats from 2019-20 season. Source: Eliteprospects.com)

Askarov is one of the most highly touted goaltending prospects in recent memory. Russia has churned out several elite goalies over the years - namely Andrei Vasilevskiy, Ilya Samsonov, Ilya Sorokin, and Igor Shesterkin - and Askarov projects to be the country's next star in the crease.

Askarov has a large frame, is incredibly athletic, and plays with a poise that's seen him graduate to the KHL as an 18-year-old and post dominant numbers in a brief sample size. He's just the third goalie to be drafted in the first round since 2015, and while it may take a few years before he's playing in the NHL, his future promises to be bright.

What they're saying

"He has elite attributes in terms of his athleticism, in how he reads the game and how aggressive he is. His quickness allows him to make the tough saves, although I don’t find him scrambling and diving around the net a lot given how well he anticipates the play. He’s a little jumpy in the net just due to how quick he is, but he’s in control most of the time, staying with the play even when the puck is moving quickly. Askarov is often challenging shooters even in unorthodox situations, but he isn’t often beat when he is aggressive, which speaks to his hockey IQ," said The Athletic's Corey Pronman.

"I think he will become an upper-echelon goalie in the NHL."

Highlights