Preds goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov pulled a greasy spin move on KHL forechecker

When you get drafted 11^th overall, as the first goaltender of the NHL Entry Draft, you’re expected to have a certain set of skills. You should be agile, alert, reactionary, and quick.

Dangling defenders? Not necessarily a skill that’s currently being scouted, but it’s a hilarious bonus skill if you have it.

Yaroslav Askarov was drafted by the Nashville Predators with the 11^th overall pick, and he showed off some fun stick handling in the KHL.

Realistically, handling the puck actually is a very important quality for a goaltender.

There are some – like Mike Smith, Martin Brodeur, Marty Turco, and Ron Hextall – who essentially act as a 3^rd defender, helping their team break out of the zone.  There are others – like Dominic Hasek and Curtis Joseph – who were known for getting themselves into dangerous situations with careless puck handling.

We’ll see how Askarov makes out at the NHL level. We’re just hoping for another moment as hilarious as Patrick Roy deking out Wayne Gretzky.