With trade speculations running rampant this offseason, the Nashville Predators appear to be putting a stop sign on the Juuse Saros trade rumors.
It looks like one of those past reports might no longer hold true at this time. According to a report from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, it sounds like Saros — who was believed to be available at the right price — is going to be staying in Nashville for at least the start of the 2023-24 season.
The Nashville Predators have continued their commitment to get younger and prepare for the future already this offseason. They just traded Ryan Johansen in order to make room for the younger guys at the center position, and reports said that more moves could be coming in the next few days before the draft.
Barry Trotz, who is slated to officially get the title of General Manager in just a few days, specifically mentioning Saros by name is crucial and signals that he prefers to not trade him this offseason.
Nashville Predators can hardly be blamed for keeping Saros
Let me just say right now that a Saros trade would be a very fair move and one that would make sense for the Predators if they decided to make it. They of course would get a haul of picks in return, and if Yaroslav Askarov is as good as is he is hyped up to be, the team certainly will not need both.
But if the Predators were to trade Saros, they better be 1000% sure of what they are doing, and make sure they have a near full proof contingency plan in place. And right now might be a little premature to bank on that.
Elite goaltenders are not even close to a dime-a-dozen commodity in hockey, and especially not Saros who is arguably the best goaltender in the league.
Juuse Saros was the best goalie of the season in our eyes. No one else saved more goals above expected than Saros. He was a big reason why the Predators had still a chance to make playoffs until like ~80th game. pic.twitter.com/Tt54j0jMjV
— Andy & Rono (@ARHockeyStats) June 18, 2023
If Askarov were bordering on NHL-ready, this trade would make sense, but he honestly may not be close to that right now. He has only played one full season in the AHL, and the consensus on his performance in Milwaukee is that he needs much more refining before he makes the next jump.
The Predators know exactly what they have in Saros and know that he is elite, and probably will be for the next several years. They do not quite know what they have in Askarov, and “the Predators are a goaltending powerhouse” is not a good enough justification for this trade because every player is different.
Even for a team looking to rebuild, you still want to keep your game changers or at least ensure that you will have them in the pipeline. I absolutely cannot criticize Trotz for wanting to hang onto Saros for the time being.
Time is Running out on a Long-Term Plan for Saros in Nashville
Let me make clear that while keeping Saros is the safe move right now, I am not naïve to the risks that come with it. The longer he is on the team, the more a bigger question and eventual decision looms over the Nashville Predators front office.
Saros’ team-friendly contract expires in two years, and lord knows that he is going to get a lucrative long-term deal when the time comes in the summer of 2025 when he becomes a UFA.
Once we get to that point, the Predators will really have to ask themselves what they are going to do and make a tough decision, because both cannot realistically be on the team.
The only possible scenario in which both could coexist is if Saros signed a four or five-year deal, because goaltenders can take up to that amount of time to reach starting caliber once they arrive to the NHL.
But I would be shocked if Saros did not get better offers than that, and if he re-signed on an eight-year deal, Askarov is not waiting that long for his chance and is forcing his way out somehow.
Now the Predators still have time to make a decision on what to do with Saros, because he does have two full years on his contract. They can hang onto him at any point between now and the 2025 trade deadline and be fine, but they better be on their toes because they are in a difficult spot, and really cannot afford to mess it up.
Saros capped off his second consecutive season of 60-plus starts and many thought he was worthy of back-to-back Vezina Trophy nominations. He finished as the NHL’s leader in Goals Saved Above Expected.