Elliotte Friedman confirms that the Montreal Canadiens were close to acquiring a star goaltender

Earlier, Friedman had reported that goaltender Yaroslav Askarov was traded to the San Jose Sharks.

However, the Sharks were not the only team in the race to acquire the young netminder. According to Friedman, the Montreal Canadiens had knocked on Barry Trotz's door of the Nashville Predators, aiming to acquire the Russian.

The same goes for the New Jersey Devils.

It appears that Kent Hughes is officially comfortable with his two goaltenders, Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau, along with young Jacob Fowler, who is expected to join the group within a year or two.

Selected 11th overall by Nashville, the 22-year-old Askarov excelled with the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL, posting a 2.39 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.

In his two appearances with the Predators, he showcased his talent by maintaining a 1.47 goals-against average and a 94.3% save percentage.