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Juuse Saros has been a rock between the pipes for the Nashville Predators since Peka Rinne retired from the National Hockey League at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season — but the Finn might not be calling Smashville home for much longer.
Although the Preds have not put Saros on the trade market, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported on Friday that general manager Barry Trotz hasn't made a final decision on the 28-year-old netminder.
“When it comes to Saros, my intentions are: I met with his agent. I’d like to re-sign him. I told them that’s our intention,” Trotz told LeBrun at the November GM meetings in Toronto. “We’re obviously in a little bit of a re-tool type of situation and when we get reset here, I’d like him to be part of the backbone.”
It was anticipated that Nashville would be rebuilding this season and fail to compete for a postseason berth, but that has not been the case. The Preds are 25-19-1 and fourth place in the Central Division. They have a serious path to the playoffs in 2024, which complicates things in Tennessee.
But, the goalie market is not what it once was, says LeBrun.
Change in market could dictate Saros' future with Predators
“What’s changed is the market itself, with a need for goaltending help in several spots. Because of that, my understanding is that Trotz won’t hang up the phone if a team makes a serious, serious offer for the 28-year-old Saros,” the insider asserted.
“That doesn’t mean the call would lead to a trade, but the Preds feel they have to at least listen and consider the possibility. Saros hasn’t been his normal self this year, but who’s kidding who: He would top any contender’s wish list looking for a serious goalie upgrade. And the fact you could get him for at least two playoff runs would also be mighty appealing.”
Saros has another year left on his contract, and will be paid a very reasonable $5 million next season. That is certainly doable for a contender looking to make a deep Stanley Cup Playoffs run in 2024. But what would a potential return look like for the two-time NHL All-Star?
“What the Predators don’t want is draft picks only. A low first-round pick(s) from a contender isn’t going to move the needle,” explained LeBrun. “It needs to be a young, front-line NHL player for the Predators to get into a Saros trade conversation.”
Although it's still likely that Juuse Saros will remain in the only NHL home he's ever known until his contract is complete, it's certainly intriguing that there could be hard conversations about the star goalie's future ahead of the Mar. 8 NHL Trade Deadline.
