Training Camp (9/19): Yaroslav Askarov

Training Camp (9/19): Yaroslav Askarov

You’re going to be in the NHL full-time, something that you’ve been striving for for a while. What did you work on this summer with that in mind? Uh, pretty much everything. Uh, try to build uh my body stronger, you know, like uh Yeah, pretty much everything. You know, I don’t want to look back at your time with Nashville a lot, but just that opportunity is what you were looking for in that time. Are are you excited? What are your feelings like that that opportunity that you were searching for a couple years ago is finally here? like you said, absolutely excited and uh we’re almost there, ready to go. What is the mentality change from an NHL to AHL, right, this year? You’re in camp, you missed the start of it last year. What’s what’s the difference this year in training camp for you? You know, especially been especially since being healthy this year compared to to last year. It’s like you said, don’t be, you know, don’t be injury. That’s that’s the big difference. Is there isn’t you know it’s always important to be like uh with the boys on the ice you know like in the locker room too so you’re not like separate because like it’s always tough to be like injured because you kind of like you’re in the team but in the same in the same moment you are not cuz you’re somewhere behind you know like but that’s that’s a great feeling to be with the team now. So does it just make you more comfortable in the Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. Because like you working with uh you know your team your DS they they know you you know them. So that’s that’s that’s cool. Obviously the situation is uh it’s different for you this year compared to last year. You know last year you were injured but also too you have Mackenzie Blackwood in front of you. You’re probably going to be with a barracuda last year. Right. This year though it’s kind of set up for you to be the number one goalie you know in the NHL. Is it important important for you to kind of keep the same mentality or does that change your mentality at all? [Music] Uh, it’s a good question. probably I would like to say like the same mentality, you know, like trying to uh keep focus what I can control. What did you focus on this summer in terms of what you wanted to improve? Um, pretty much everything. Yeah. Yeah. It’s like a lot of stuff we have to work, right? It’s like you have to uh you have to growing up every day if you want to be, you know, like life’s going on. Life’s moving forward. You have to move forward too if you want to be if you want to be playing a good in the best league. How do you like working with Thomas Thomas Spear and I mean obviously Nav’i you’ve been working with for a while, but how how do you like working with with those guys? And you know Ryan Miller is here too. How do you how do you like That’s great. That’s great. That’s the first they’re like uh the great persons all of these three guys they pretty great persons of the ice that’s helps a lot and also like they have a good coaches so that’s that’s pretty good that’s a good combo like good person and good coach so can’t complain what’s your your your impression all the all the top prospects are pretty much here I mean they the player they just drafted Michael’s uh second overall is here we just talked to him and you know celibbrini is here and Smith’s here and you know all these other players who have been drafted the first second round last couple years are all here right now. What’s your impression of the group and the talent that’s that’s that’s kind of here right now? Um always great. It’s like uh it’s a new blues, you know, like and they uh they like just everybody’s excited. So like everybody is going hard on the ice of the ice as well. So that’s that’s the great energy and it kind of like you feel that energy and you’re trying to uh do more from yourself. It’s kind of like you something like you pushing more harder you know like and they also like look at you probably and you’re trying to best as you can. What’s your impression of Michael Misa so far? He’s a really smart player. just can make really good really nice play also like have a good shot. So solid player. Yeah. Has there been a player maybe in in your group or in the scrimmage that maybe has a shot that maybe caught you off guard a little bit that you maybe weren’t expecting to be maybe so precise or so quick? Is there anybody that’s caught your eye with their shooting ability? [Music] Maybe. Yeah. Yeah. Do you want to share who or No, you don’t want to move to I feel like you said Misa. No, no. Who has there anybody else that has maybe kind of surprised you with their shot? To still surprise me every time. Moore, you’re the new number one net minder here in San Jose this season with the main squad. How have you taken on that role and use it to kind of mentor some of the new goalenders that San Jose has brought in this off season? Can I repeat like the second half of your question? Yeah. Um, how have you been have you taken on a leadership role with the net minding crew? Have you been kind of a mentor to the new goalenders in San Jose since you’re the new number one player? I’m just keep focused what I can control, you know? That’s that’s my goal. That’s trying to uh whatever if I’m going to be in the net, I’m just going to be trying to give uh to my team chance to win, get two points. That’s my goal. the coaching styles of um Nabakov, Miller and Spearzy any difference in the coaching styles or are they pretty similar? A little bit different cuz like I would say like every person a little bit different, you know, but uh they asking pretty much the same. I mean, from the goalies, you know, like uh that’s it. Any any any differences you can you can you can you can point out though or any differences you can point out between the three? Anything stand out to you? So Nabi Russian. So that thanks I would say but pretty much they pretty much similar. Have you received any pointers especially from Nabi or Miller about being a starting goalie uh in in the NHL? just any you know obviously they’ve won a lot of games in the NHL so have they given you any pointers about just how to how to take on that role be health sure that if you don’t yeah the uh the season starts in about 3 weeks here I mean how do you want to use this this time the rest of the camp here to get make sure your game is is to where it needs to be and do you have would you like there’s a certain amount of preseason games you’d like to play uh um you know before the season starts to just to make sure you’re you’re where you need to be. I guess yeah we have some time a little bit for like yeah like you said we have we did already like two scrimmages like our group and uh what else we will have like couple preseason games and it’s going to be helped too and it’s more like to be ready mental mentality you know that’s we’ll be good we’ll be good we have some time and yeah now offered you a gift sharks territory have to wait to see what that gift was. Are you willing to share? Say again. Sorry, brother. No worries. Uh Nabie left you a gift in your locker according to social media. Uh do we have to wait for the surprise? I wasn’t see that box yet, so it’s still a question mark.

Sharks Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov answers questions from the media at training camp on September 19, 2025