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Nashville Predators heading towards a fire sale, but these players should be untouchable

We have reached a breaking point in the Nashville Predators season, and not even at the 20-game mark.
ByChad Minton|
Nov 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Nashville Predators right wing Matthew Wood (71) celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers with teammates during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Nov 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Nashville Predators right wing Matthew Wood (71) celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers with teammates during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Tampa Bay Lightning v Nashville Predators | Johnnie Izquierdo/GettyImages

Juuse Saros

Another player with a No Movement Clause on this list is Juuse Saros. He's just one year into his eight-year deal that doesn't expir until 2033 when he'll be age 38. Now it's totally fair to say that he won't stay in Nashville for the duration of those eight years, but I also don't think GM Barry Trotz is going to ship Saros off in Year 1.

You still need your conrnerstone of the franchise going into the rebuild, and the rebuild will be much shorter and less painful if you have Saros still here on a bargain deal of $7.74 million AAV. With a rising salary cap, it's just such an outstanding deal for Nashville.

This team's problems aren't Saros. It's goal support and lack of raw offensive talent that can make plays. You trade Saros now in 2025-26 in Year 1 of that deal, and you're basically waiving the white flag that this team is going to be horrendous for years and years to come. It usually takes a lot of trial and error before you ever find another trusted goalie on the same level as Saros.

If a trade of Saros were to happen, then you're going to get a goalie swap of some sort. The latest team that's getting some buzz in the Saros sweepstakes is once again the Edmonton Oilers, with maye Stuart Skinner coming back to Nashville in a swap for Saros. A horrible downgrade for Nashville, and the better part of any potential trade would be the draft compensation coming back.

NHL Insider Frank Seravalli recently stirred the pot on the Saros trade market to Edmonton, but states that the Predators should have to pay the Oilers to take on that eight-year deal and extra cap space. Seravalli isn't convinced that Saros has great trade value right now.

I'll say this repeatedly that draft capital is great and all, but unless they're high end first rounders, you're taking huge gambles that any of these picks will ever amount to anything on the NHL level. Drafting in the NHL is such an imperfect science more than any of the other major sports.

We are too early into Saros' eight-year deal to be entertaining the idea of trading him, unless just a king's ransom comes along. There isn't a conceivable trade offer I can fathom coming around to push me to want to trade Saros in 2025-26. If Nashville had a trustworthy backup, then of course I would have Saros as trade worthy. But that's not the case.

There is no backup plan in net right now for Nashville that will be ready anytime soon. Some hopefuls in the prospect ranks, but just hopefuls. That's it.

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