The timelines just don't line up wrt to Askarov. He's not as sure a thing as folks on a board like this one tend to assume. There is a lot of overrating/high expectations attached to prospects here, which just isn't how real life NHL general managers look at those things. The Preds are competitive right now as a playoff team, and will want to continue to be so in the next few years, which is a timeline that just doesn't line up with Askarov being ready to supplant Saros.
It's going to be the next Expansion Draft which eventually forces Nashville's hand on a goalie decision - *if* Askarov continues to progress as hoped. However, the Preds will have to make a decision on Saros' contract before any of that. And that's purely going to come down to the terms that Saros is looking for. Not so much in years (8 years will be fine for the Preds), but rather just in $$$ and protection clauses. Because one thing the Preds won't be able to give him is a NMC. I don't think any of us fans can predict how important that NMC will be to Saros. No team should really give him 8x$10M with a full NMC. Nashville won't, but neither should NJ. Anyway, the final negotiating stances between the two sides won't be firmed up until after the 2024 Draft, so it's not realistic to be talking about the #10 OA draft pick as one of the components of any trade. And the Devils may wish to make their goaltending move sooner. So that's another area where the timelines just don't line up.