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Date of Birth: Jun 16, 2002 Place of Birth: Omsk, RUS Nation: Russia Youth Team: Avangard Omsk Position: G Height: 190 cm / 6’3“ Weight: 80 kg / 176 lbs Catches: R Yaroslav Askarov (born 16 June 2002) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). On 27 November 2019, Askarov made his KHL debut at the age of 17. Fantasy Summary A big butterfly-style goalie with potential to become a franchise goalie and a Vezina Trophy contender. Owns amazing reflexes and is mentally strong. Observations February 2020 – Askarov had a bad performance at the World Juniors but he has had a great season in the VHL which is the second-highest men’s league in Russia. It is also good to remember that when Askarov played against his age group at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he was almost unbeatable. One bad tournament should not wipe away everything else he has done. Everything still points towards Askarov becoming a top 10 or at least a top 15 draft pick. Jokke Nevalainen July 2019 – At age 16, Askarov played as a starting goalie both for SKA-Varyagi in the MHL and for Russia U18. He was spectacular throughout the season, and he is arguably the best Russian goalie prospect since Andrei Vasilevsky. Askarov has posted a .921 save percentage in 31 games in the MHL, and also .948 and .916 at WJC-U17 and WJC-U18 respectively. After a great performance at the U18 Worlds, he is a potential lottery pick for the 2020 NHL Draft. Next season, he is going to battle for a starter position in the VHL and may also debut in the KHL at some point of the season. It’s safe to name him as a starting goalie for Russia at the U18 Worlds next year, and he could also make the Russian roster for the U20 World Juniors. Askarov’s toolset provides all you want to see in goalie. With his big 6-foot-3 frame, he covers a lot of net. He has amazing reflexes and is mentally strong. In addition to this, Askarov is right-handed which is rare for NHL goalies. Plays butterfly style rather than stand-up. Askarov doesn’t tend to aggressively come out from the net and he could play the puck more consistently. However, he isn’t afraid of that and should be able to fix it later on. Although Askarov may become a top-15 pick, as a goalie prospect, he is projected to be at least two or three years away from the NHL after the draft. However, he is very likely to develop into a franchise goalie and may someday contend for the Vezina Trophy for the team that takes a gamble on him. Sergei Kuzin
