The San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) announced today that goaltender Yaroslav Askarov has been selected as this year's "Sharks Rookie of the Year" in a vote by Bay Area media. Askarov’s win marks the first time a Sharks netminder has received the award since Evgeni Nabokov in 2000-01.
Askarov, 23, has spent his first full season in the NHL, posting a 21-19-3 record across 45 appearances to date, leading NHL rookie goaltenders in saves (1,128), appearances, starts (45), time on ice (2471:50) and is second in wins (21). He has recorded the second-most wins (25) by a Sharks rookie netminder in a single season. He earned his 20th win of the season on Mar. 30 against St. Louis, becoming the first Sharks netminder since Martin Jones (2018-19) to reach the 20-win mark. In November, he posted an 8-2-0 record and set the best save percentage (.947%) by a netminder for the calendar month in Sharks history with a minimum of four appearances. He finished November tied for first in wins, second in saves (302), third in save percentage and tied for seventh in goals against average (1.88) among NHL netminders. Among NHL rookie netminders in November, he led goalies in wins, saves, appearances (10) and was second in save percentage and third in goals against average.
Askarov has posted 35 or more saves in a game six times this season, with four games of 38 saves, one shy of his career high, posting a 3-1-0 record in those contests and has helped the Sharks earn a pair of shootout wins, going a perfect 5-for-5 in those contests. He recorded a career-long four-game winning streak from Nov. 1-11, making 132 saves on 136 shots faced (.971 SV%) with a 1.23 goals against average in that span.
The six-foot-three, 180-pound native of Omsk, Russia was originally selected by Nashville in the 2020 NHL Draft (first round, 11th overall). He was acquired by San Jose from Nashville, along with forward Nolan Burke and a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, in exchange for forward David Edstrom, goaltender Magnus Chrona and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft on Aug. 23, 2024.
PAST WINNERS OF THE "SHARKS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR" AWARD INCLUDE:
2024-25 Macklin Celebrini
2023-24 Henry Thrun
2022-23 William Eklund
2021-22 Jonathan Dahlen
2020-21 Nikolai Knyzhov
2019-20 Mario Ferraro
2018-19 Radim Simek
2017-18 Joakim Ryan
2016-17 Kevin Labanc
2015-16 Joonas Donskoi
2014-15 Melker Karlsson
2013-14 Matt Nieto & Tomas Hertl
2012-13 Matt Irwin
2011-12 Andrew Desjardins
2010-11 Logan Couture
2009-10 Jason Demers
2008-09 Tomas Plihal
2007-08 Torrey Mitchell
2006-07 Marc-Edouard Vlasic
2005-06 Milan Michalek
2003-04 Tom Preissing
2002-03 Jim Fahey
2001-02 Matt Bradley
2000-01 Evgeni Nabokov
1999-00 Brad Stuart
1998-99 Alexander Korolyuk
1997-98 Patrick Marleau, Marco Sturm, Andrei Zyuzin
1996-97 Stephen Guolla
1995-96 Marcus Ragnarsson
1994-95 Jeff Friesen
