With the 11th overall pick, the Nashville Predators selected goalie Yaroslav Askarov from the SKA organization in Russia. At 6’4”, Askarov sat 11th in my final 2020 NHL Entry Draft ranking, and—despite Anton Lundell being on the board—Nashville picked for the net. It seems unusual for a goalie to be selected this high, but Askarov has the serious potential to be a franchise goalie for this organization.
At every level, Askarov has dominated. As a 16-year old, he posted a 0.921 save percentage for SKA-Varyagi of the MHL (the Russian junior league); last season, he finished with a 0.