Did the Canadiens make the right move by choosing Jacob Fowler over Yaroslav Askarov?

Pierre Lebrun revealed in an interview with BPM Sports that the Canadiens inquired about Yaroslav Askarov, but the asking price from the Nashville Predators was too much.

“The Askarov trade was very interesting,” said LeBrun. “We can confirm the Predators did not want to trade him. They wanted to keep developing Askarov even after they signed Saros to an eight-year-contract. I can confirm via other sources, 100 percent, that Colorado, Carolina, the Flyers, and the Canadiens also made offers for Askarov."

“I don’t know 100 percent what they offered,” said LeBrun regarding the Canadiens. “I have the impression it would be a young defenceman. I have to be careful, but I heard the Predators mentioned Jacob Fowler’s name from another source. And there’s no way the Canadiens will trade Fowler.”

It's safe to say that the young defenseman could've been Jordan Harris, who the Canadiens eventually included in the Patrik Laine trade.

“It was smart of the Habs,” said LeBrun. “You never know. When a player like Askarov asks for a trade, maybe the Predators were cornered, willing to take less than market value for him. But in the end, given the price San Jose paid, David Engstrom, a former first-rounder, plus another first-rounder, I don’t think the other teams I mentioned came remotely close to offering the same type of value as the Sharks.”

A trade to acquire Askarov for Fowler wouldn't have made much sense. Askarov is in the last year of his entry-level deal and signed an extension with the Sharks. The Canadiens have time to wait for Fowler to develop, as they have solid options in Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau. There are no guarantees that the Canadiens are ready to contend this season or next, and having to pay Askarov more than an entry-level deal wouldn't help their situation.

The Canadiens can now roll-out Montembeault and Primeau until Fowler is ready. Fowler may not be ready in the first season after signing his pro contract, but they'll likely get him for at least two years of his entry-level deal.

For some reason, right-handed catching goaltenders have been unable to excel at the NHL level. Askarov believes he can break that mold, but if he does struggle under the pressure of the NHL, Fowler will likely be the better goaltender anyway. Let's not forget about some of Askarov's implosions against Canada in past World Junior Championships.

It could be a bad way to evaluate talent, but I can't predict Askarov's future success without thinking about those games. Askarov could end up being one of the top goaltenders of the next decade for the Sharks, but if he doesn't live up to the expectations, I'll be the first one saying we should've saw it coming.

The same can be said for Fowler. However, the Canadiens did the right thing by seeing what they have in him instead of making a lateral move to acquire Askarao