Nashville Predators sign goalie Iaroslav Askarov to a three-year, entry-level contract
The Nashville Predators got a 19-year-old's autograph Monday.
The team signed goalie Iaroslav Askarov, whom they chose 11th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, to a three-year, entry-level contract that begins next season.
The 6-foot-3, 176-pounder played most of last season with Neva Saint Petersburg in the VHL, the second-highest professional league in Russia. He was 5-2-2 with a 2.57 goals-against average. He also played six games in the KHL.
"Be the greatest Russian goalie," Askarov said through a translator after he was picked. "No. 1 in the NHL."
"He's a high-end talent," Predators assistant general manager Jeff Kealty said of Askarov last week. "... There's no question he's a top-end goaltending prospect."
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Reach Paul Skrbina at pskrbina@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @PaulSkrbina.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Predators sign goalie Iaroslav Askarov to entry-level deal