Yaroslav Askarov is the San Jose Sharks top goalie prospect and earned his first recall to the NHL on Monday.
Vitek Vanecek suffered an upper-body injury on Saturday during the first period of the Sharks game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mackenzie Blackwood will start for the Sharks tonight with Askarov as backup against the Detroit Red Wings.
“It feels great [getting called up],” Askarov told reporters today. “Feels like a million dollars, maybe more.”
Askarov last played in the NHL on Dec. 30, 2023, for the Nashville Predators against the Washington Capitals. The netminder has been working closely with Evgeni Nabokov and is now in the NHL with Thomas Speer. He praised their mood and similar messaging as a way for him to be successful.
“[Nabokov and I are] talking about everything. That helps a lot, especially in-season because we have a lot of hockey,” Askarov said. “We speak about hockey as well, but we speak a lot about not hockey [and that] helps a lot.
“When you work with [people] who [are] smiling, who have positive energy, it helps a lot.”
Askarov said he’s fully settled into the San Jose area. The weather is always a bonus in California with the amount of sunlight it gets, but the goalie said it helps his mood, which can benefit his performance.
“It’s beauty. Every day, get some sun, like waking up, watching, going outside, and watching the sun. That’s perfect. That’s great for my mood,” Askarov said.
The 22-year-old has had a stellar start to the season with the San Jose Barracuda with a 6-3 record.
It is unclear at this time if the Russian goalie will get some playing time with the NHL club, but Sharks’ head coach Ryan Warsofsky said the team will know more tonight about Vanecek’s status and whether he will join them on their upcoming two-game road trip.
“It’s a great opportunity for me. It’s good energy. It feels pretty good, and it’s always fun to be here,” Askarov said about his recall. “Every time you try to do your best. It could be worse. It could be better. You always want to be better.
“Whatever you do in your life, if you’re doing it with good energy and [a] good vibe, it’s going to be easier. It doesn’t matter hockey, football, basketball, or you’re just driving the car. If you keep positive, it’s going to be easier.”
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