Trotz: Askarov deal moved fast after trade request went public

Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz says discussions ramped up after reports surfaced of Yaroslav Askarov's trade request.

The young goaltender was dealt to the San Jose Sharks on Friday, four days after ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported that Askarov wanted out of Nashville and wouldn't report to AHL Milwaukee if he failed to make the Predators out of camp.

"When he asked for the trade request, just privately, he said he would be a good soldier and all that," Trotz said, per The Tennessean's Alex Daugherty. "Then he came out public and said he wouldn't have much interest in that."

Trotz, who initially disputed the rumors, ultimately moved Askarov to San Jose for David Edstrom, Magnus Chrona, and a 2025 conditional first-round pick.

"We talked about exploring some things, working together to see where this process would go through training camp," Trotz said. "But once it became public, it pushed to a different place in terms of the decision time."

Trotz continued: "Then if you don't trade him, there's always going to be noise. We've got a really good vibe from what we did last year. I didn't want there to be something that sucked the air out of that."

The Predators reached the playoffs last season with a second-half surge, then made a huge splash in free agency by signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. Nashville also inked starting goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year extension, prompting several teams around the league to inquire about Askarov's availability.

Trotz noted there were four other teams who were "serious possibilities" in the Askarov sweepstakes before a deal was struck with the Sharks.