Kraken Named Suitors for Yaroslav Askarov Following Trade Request

Trade rumors surrounding Nashville Predators' top goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov continue to swirl following his trade request, first reported by ESPN's Kevin Weekes on August 19 . In the past few days, many different NHL analysts have pointed to different teams that could emerge as potential suitors for the young netminder.

Julian Gaudio of The Hockey News suggested on August 19 that the Seattle Kraken should be "interested in acquiring him," considering their prospect pipeline and NHL roster.

"The Kraken have an abundance of forward prospects and quite a few defensemen in their prospect pool but lack star potential in goal," Gaudio wrote. "Outside of Niklas Kokko, most of the Kraken goaltending prospects have slim chances of becoming NHL regulars.

"If the Kraken were to attempt to trade for Askarov, he would immediately become their best goaltending prospect.

By aggressively pursuing Askarov, in Gaudio's eyes, the Kraken could fix their ongoing problems between the pipes. Gaudio thinks Philipp Grubauer has underperformed relative to his hefty contract, while backup Joey Daccord, despite a strong season, remains largely untested at the NHL level.

Gaudio argues that adding Askarov would give the Kraken a top-tier prospect with the potential to become their franchise goalie, addressing a significant weakness on their roster.

"Askarov could also help the Kraken at the NHL level straight away," Gaudio added. "The Kraken have many questions when it comes to their play in the crease as Philipp Grubauer hasn't lived up to his contract throughout his entire Kraken career and Joey Daccord, besides a stellar 2023-24 season, is very unproven."

It's worth noting that Predators General Manager Barry Trotz made a strong statement following the trade request aimed at franchises interested in landing Askarov via trade. Trotz said that the team expects the young goalie back next season starting at September's training camp, via TSN .

"We are aware of the report today, and our expectation is for the player to report to training camp and compete for a job in September," Trotz said on August 19.

Related: Predators GM Issues Warning to Yaroslav Askarov's Trade Suitors