Rumor: Preds goalie Askarov has asked for a trade?

When the Nashville Predators announced that they had signed goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight year, $62 million contract there was an immediate concern from the team's fanbase for the future of top prospect Yaroslav Askarov.

After all, the 22 year old Askarov is seen as one of the top young goaltenders in hockey and now he has his path to the Predators' crease blocked by Saros.

Askarov has played just 3 NHL games... so it makes sense that the Predators wouldn't simply walk away from Saros in favor of Askarov. But the flip side of the coin is that now Askarov has no path to the NHL.

So... what happens next?

According to a report from Russian publication SOV Sport, Askarov's agent Dan Milstein has intimated that maybe it's best for the young goaltender to move along. He confirmed with SOV Sport that he and the Predators have been working on 'different scenarios' to help get Askarov in a different situation.

From Milstein:

Does that read like a quiet trade request to anyone else?

Milstein is the king of these types of PR moves, so it wouldn't surprise me if the wheels are turning behind the scenes. Milstein works hard for his clients to get them in the best situation possible, so it wouldn't surprise me to see Askarov shipped out by the end of the 2024 offseason.

Stay tuned.