Trade Talk: The Canadiens, Jacob Fowler, and Yaroslav Askarov

Hockey analyst Pierre LeBrun confirmed the Montreal Canadiens were among the teams that inquired as to the possibility of trading for disgruntled former Nashville Predators goaltender Yaroslav Askarov.

LeBrun discussed the situation in a radio interview with BPM Sports on Wednesday morning, adding some Canadiens-related details to the script. Given that the interview took place in French, there’s a chance some of LeBrun’s comments will be lost in translation. There’s also the matter of timing, as this was not the first time the Predators and Canadiens discussed a potential trade in the last couple of years.

Cleaning Up The Potential Askarov Trade Timeline

“The Askarov trade was very interesting,” said LeBrun. “We can confirm the Predators did not want to trade him. They wanted to keep developing Askarov even after they signed Saros to an eight-year-contract.”

According to LeBrun, the Predators wanted to sell Askarov on the idea of playing in the minors for another stretch, a tough proposal for a goaltender who was clearly not interested in spending more time in the AHL. To make matters more complicated, the Predators signed backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood on July 1, the same day they announced Juuse Saros’ eight-year contract extension.

A Zoom call featuring Askarov and several members of the Predators then took place, with the 22-year-old goaltender confirming he would not attend camp unless the team arranged a trade. According to LeBrun, the Predators were not happy, but they decided trading Askarov was the best path forward.

With all due respect to Barry Trotz, which is a lot, the writing was on the wall when it came to Askarov’s time with the Predators. I have a hard time understanding why he thought his pitch, which delayed Askarov’s ascension to the NHL, would have had any chance of being accepted given the circumstances.

Montreal Canadiens Involvement

Five teams were in the trade mix, including the team that eventually secured Askarov’s rights, the San Jose Sharks.

“I can confirm via  other sources, 100 percent, that Colorado, Carolina, the Flyers, and the Canadiens also made offers for Askarov.” said LeBrun. “Finally, the Sharks were the ones who really made the best offer by a wide margin. Trots also mentioned some teams were not sincere in their offers, but wouldn’t say which.”

That last part is important, as it would explain the Canadiens’ involvement in the trade discussion, which seemed to be more of a question of Kent Hughes inquiring as to the price tag, rather than a legitimate discussion that could have led to Askarov being traded to Montreal. The Canadiens have two young goaltenders in the NHL, and one of the best goaltending prospects outside the league. Askarov is considered to have more potential than all the goaltenders in the Canadiens organization, but not to the point that Hughes and Co. would be willing to mortgage their future.

“I don’t know 100 percent what they offered,” said LeBrun regarding the Canadiens. “I have the impression it would be a young defenceman. I have to be careful, but I heard the Predators mentioned Jacob Fowler’s name from another source. And there’s no way the Canadiens will trade Fowler.”

MUST READ: Canadiens Prospect Rankings – No.3: Jacob Fowler The Next Great Hope

The young defenceman could have been Jordan Harris, who was recently traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a Patrik Laine and a second-round pick. Kevin Weekes announced Askarov’s trade demand on the very morning the Habs sent Harris to the Blue Jackets. Seeing as the Zoom meeting in which Askarov demanded a trade happened prior to the Weekes Tweet, it stands to reason Harris was still in play at that point.

**Breaking News** 🚨 📰
I’m told that Top Goalie Prospect Askarov has informed the @PredsNHL that he will not report to their @TheAHL team, and has requested a trade. #HockeyX #Preds pic.twitter.com/EQFGs7FUJK

— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) August 19, 2024

However, the timing also means the Predators and Canadiens probably weren’t discussing draft picks at the 2024 NHL Entry, as they had in the past. By August 19, Ivan Demidov was already a member of the organization. There’s a chance this discussion took place prior to the draft (June 1), but the timeline doesn’t allow for much discussion given how quickly things fell apart in Nashville once Askarov demanded a trade.

LeBrun’s final sentence doesn’t confirm the Canadiens were not serious about the trade, but it does suggest it the Habs were not one of the teams that provided the Sharks a healthy trade offer.

“It was smart of the Habs,” said LeBrun. “You never know. When a player like Askarov asks for a  trade, maybe the Predators were cornered, willing to take less than market value for him. But in the end, given the price San Jose paid, David Engstrom, a former first-rounder, plus another first-rounder, I don’t think the other teams I mentioned came remotely close to offering the same type of value as the Sharks.”

Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks

Despite this trade never having any sort of solid framework, it’s always entertaining to discuss potential deals. On that note, Canadiens fans are probably relieved goaltender Jacob Fowler is still considered one of the top prospects in the organization, especially since he led the NCAA in wins during his freshman campaign. Additionally, both Cayden Primeau and Samuel Montembeault are on the right side of 30, connoting that the Canadiens  do not need goaltending reinforcements.

We also have to allow for more moving parts which weren’t disclosed to LeBrun. But from what we know, this simply seems like Hughes was performing due diligence, as good general managers will shake every trade tree to see what fruit it may bear.