Kent Hughes has a golden opportunity to acquire a very promising young goaltender
Since his arrival as the general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, Kent Hughes has done an excellent job initiating a rebuilding process aimed at improving the team in the long term.
Indeed, in just two years, the organization has equipped itself with a simply impressive defensive brigade. Moreover, according to many experts, the Habs are among the top-5 NHL teams in terms of defensive prospects with talented players such as David Reinbacher, Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux, Adam Engstrom, and Bogdan Konyushkov.
Additionally, while the offense isn't yet among the NHL's elite, the Canadiens have still managed to acquire two very promising forwards in Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook. Add to this the selection of Juraj Slafkovsky, and we have three young players who can contribute to the team's success for many years.
However, the team's management still needs to address a crucial issue: acquiring a future number one goaltender to truly enable the Canadiens to become a powerhouse in the coming years. The addition of Jacob Fowler is certainly a step in the right direction, but there is unfortunately no guarantee he will be Carey Price's successor.
On the other hand, a very interesting opportunity might arise as goaltender Yaroslav Askarov seems to be available in Nashville. Amidst several trade rumors, notably involving the Canadiens this summer, the 21-year-old Russian, picked 11th in the 2020 draft, is overshadowed by Juuse Saros, who is undeniably the franchise's future netminder.
Clearly, even if he is destined for a promising future in the NHL, Yaroslav Askarov doesn't seem to be part of GM Barry Trotz's plans. Although Canadiens management wasn't willing to give up the 5th overall pick for him last June, it wouldn't be surprising if Kent Hughes makes another move in the coming months.
This is definitely a situation to watch closely!
In his first season in North America, Askarov dominated the American League, posting a record of 26 wins, 16 losses, and 6 overtime losses. The Milwaukee Admirals' goaltender also had a save percentage of 0.911 and a goals-against average of 2.69.
| POLL | ||
Do you believe the Canadiens should try to acquire Yaroslav Askarov or trust the young goaltenders of the organization? | ||
| Acquire Yaroslav Askarov | 56 | 65.1 % |
| Trust the goaltenders of the organization | 30 | 34.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
