Yaroslav Askarov to Guard Crease in Sharks' Home Opener

Yaroslav Askarov will guard the home crease in Thursday's Opening Night matchup against the Panthers, per Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News. The 24-year-old backstop put together a 21-20-4 record, 3.63 GAA and .883 save percentage across 47 regular-season outings last year. With San Jose's young offensive core and new veteran defensemen Darnell Nurse and Jacob Trouba, Askarov could see improved numbers while competing with Alex Nedeljkovic.