Fellow goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, who came to the Sharks via trade more than a year ago, gave the Russian-born Askarov his support and helped him adjust to his new surroundings.
It’s something Askarov will never forget.
“I still can’t speak (English) well, but last year was worse,” Askarov said. “He was like, ‘Hey buddy, if you need to say something, just take your time. I’m waiting. I’m listening to you. I’m going to try to (help you) understand everything.’
“Not everyone is like that.”
The Sharks last December traded Blackwood, forward Givanni Smith and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Avalanche for goaltender Alexander Georgiev, winger Nikolai Kovalenko, a conditional 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 second-rounder.
Still, Blackwood, with his big personality, not to mention his often spectacular play, made his mark in San Jose, particularly on Askarov, who with his recent success has replaced Blackwood as the Sharks’ No. 1 goaltender.
When the Sharks faced the league-leading Avalanche at Ball Arena on Wednesday night, Askarov and Blackwood were again on opposite sides of the ice. In the Sharks’ 3–2 overtime win over Colorado on November 1, Askarov stopped 36 of 38 shots, while Blackwood made 20 saves in his first game of the season.
“He doesn’t have bad days,” Askarov said of Blackwood. “He’s always having fun. He’s smiling, laughing and joking. It helps during a long hockey season, because you’re focused most of the time, but he’s the type of guy that makes your life easier and makes your life more fun.”
The Sharks haven’t received much reward from the Blackwood trade, at least not yet, as underperforming Georgiev and Kovalenko are now back in Russia. A 2025 fifth-round pick was used on center Max Heise, who had 15 points in 19 games for the Prince Albert Raiders before Wednesday, and a 2026 pick looks like it will come late in the second round.
Blackwood, a pending unrestricted free agent, signed a five-year, $26.25 million contract extension with the Avalanche, a term and dollar amount to which the Sharks were not willing to commit, partly because they felt they had a goaltender of the future in Askarov, who had spent the majority of the previous season with the Barracuda in the AHL.
Before Wednesday’s game, Askarov was 7-1-0 this month with a .959 save percentage — second-best in the NHL among all goaltenders with at least five starts — as he helped the Sharks rejoin the playoff race after an 0-4-2 start.
There’s no doubt that Askarov credits Blackwood with helping him become comfortable in San Jose.
“Especially the first few weeks on the team when you’re the new guy who doesn’t know anything here,” Askarov said. “Just imagine being in a new place, and then you’re trying to learn some new things, and (Blackwood) helped me a lot. So I have a million percent respect for him.”In 63 games with the Sharks, Blackwood was 16-34-7 with a .902 save percentage – respectable numbers, considering the organization was undergoing an almost complete rebuild.
“(Blackwood) was great for our group,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Worked really hard on his craft, and I think that’s probably something (Askarov) learned the most from how hard Blackie worked in the gym, how he worked on his body, how he took care of himself… and after becoming a professional, (Ascarov) learned a lot.”
Toffoli plays
Sharks winger Tyler Toffoli missed Tuesday’s practice due to illness and did not participate in the team’s morning skate in Denver, but played against the Avalanche. Toffoli entered Wednesday fifth on the Sharks with 12 points in 23 games.
Had Toffoli been unable to play Wednesday, the Sharks would have prepared 11 forwards and seven defensemen, with John Klingberg back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch for Sunday’s home game against the Boston Bruins.
The Sharks have nine defensemen and only 12 forwards on the roster, meaning there are no other forwards available if one suddenly becomes unavailable.
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