San Jose Sharks’ Mike Grier on Yaroslav Askarov: ‘It’s a big year’

SAN JOSE – Ask coach Ryan Warsofsky about what the San Jose Sharks want to see from goalie Yaroslav Askarov this season, and you’ll get a pretty straightforward response.

“I think we want to see him save the puck,” Warsofsky said last week with a smile. “Of course, we want him to string some games together. … But we want to see a guy that really jumps and takes the No. 1 job and runs with it and develops in that way.”

When that will be, though, is anyone’s guess.

With the additions and changes the organization has made, and the money spent in recent months, Sharks players have talked openly during the first few days of training camp about wanting to be a playoff contender — now and well into the future.

But to make the postseason in the spring, the Sharks will likely need better team defense and for Askarov, 24, to be more consistent and show more of the promise he’s had since he was drafted 11th overall by the Nashville Predators in 2020.

In his first full NHL season, Askarov’s best month was November with an 8-2-0 record and a sparkling .944 save percentage.

But the then-23-year-old finished the year with a 21-20-4 record in 47 games and won just two of his last nine starts – with losses to also-rans Vancouver and Chicago mixed in — with an .871 save percentage in that time. The advanced metrics were not much better.

The Sharks then missed the playoffs by four points, and questions about Askarov’s progress began being raised.

Last week, General Manager Mike Grier tried to offer some perspective, saying that goalies often take more time to ripen than forwards and defensemen, and that Askarov was new to the NHL workload, not to mention the increased travel of a West Coast-based team.

Still, Grier knows Askarov needs to take a step forward, not backward.

“I think it’s a big year for him,” Grier said. “But at the same time, I think he’s taken that responsibility. This is the best he’s looked coming into camp, as far as physically with his conditioning. He’s definitely put in the time over the summer, so hopefully that translates into the season.”

To better prevent injuries and deal with the rigors of a long season, Askarov said he’s added about 10 pounds of muscle to a still relatively slim 6-foot-4 frame. He was listed at 180 pounds last season.

“I’ve changed my summer routine a little bit,” Askarov said. “Got a new goalie coach (in Russia). New strength trainer off the ice, as well. I changed my nutrition a little bit.

“Just feel a little bit more ready.”

Along with on-ice work, Askarov said the “highlight” was learning how to swim.

“I (was) swimming like a dog before,” Askarov said, adding that he went to a “professional facility with a coach because the weather in St. Petersburg wasn’t good this summer. A lot cloudy, not sunny.”

Askarov could play Tuesday when the Sharks host the Vegas Golden Knights in their preseason home opener. It’s an important game: With a shorter training camp, he and Alex Nedeljkovic, like every other NHL goalie, have fewer practices and games to dial in for the start of the regular season.

After Tuesday, the Sharks have preseason games Thursday and Saturday, and two or three practices next week before their regular-season opener on Oct. 1 at home against the Florida Panthers.

“I think (the shorter camp) probably affects our position the most, just because you don’t have those extra games,” Nedeljkovic said. “You’re (No. 1 goalie), he’s got to play at least — I would imagine — two games. It’s usually what I feel like most guys get.”

A good start for Askarov and the Sharks will not be easy.

After Oct. 1, four of the following five Sharks’ games will be against playoff teams from last season. The Sharks then go on a six-game, 10-day road trip, and five of those opponents finished ahead of them in the NHL’s overall standings last season.

Asked if he might look for outside goaltending help, potentially three-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck, if Askarov struggles out of the gate, Grier said he had faith in his tandem, without closing any doors.

Hellebuyck, 33, has requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets, who suspended the veteran goalie last week for missing training camp. Although the Sharks are not considered frontrunners for Hellebuyck’s services, they have the assets needed to complete a deal if they choose.

“If for whatever reason (Askarov’s) not on top of his game to start the year, I think we’re more than comfortable with (Nedeljkovic),” Grier said of the goaltending position. “We’re lucky to have him, and (Eric) Comrie down as the No. 3 gives us some good depth, so we feel good about where our goaltending is.

“It’s probably the most depth we’ve had since I’ve been here, so it’s exciting, but it’s no different than any other position out there, right? If something pops up and I feel like it can improve the team and help us be a better team, and it makes sense not only in the short term but in the long term, then I’m always open to exploring.”

It’ll be a moot point if Askarov plays well and shows growth from year one to year two. The Sharks will know the answer to that soon enough.

“I keep focusing on today,” Askarov said. “That’s only what we can change: today. Let’s keep focusing on today.”

“Everyone develops at his own pace, and goaltenders are no different,” Warsofsky said. “But it’s obviously a big year for him. He put in a lot of work this summer. He’s gotten stronger. He looks bigger. He’s in good shape. So keep working with him and improving his game. But we all want him to take the next step. That’s for sure.”