Three Most Valuable Players that Nashville Predators Can Trade at 2024 Deadline

3. Juuse Saros, 1 Year Left on Current Contract, 2025 UFA

Let's start with the elephant in the room and that's Juuse Saros' trade value, and more importantly, if General Manager Barry Trotz is starting to come around on the thought of actually dealing his franchise goaltender.

We've already heard from some significant NHL insiders, including Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, that Trotz is at the very least now listening to offers and picking up the phone. It doesn't mean he's actively searching, but he's at least doing his due diligence.

In other words, we can stop saying that Saros is "untouchable" because he's not. And that's how it should be with this current Predators team. They're so far away from realistically contending for a Stanley Cup, that you have to entertain these enormous offers for Saros.

Another well-respected NHL insider, Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff, speculates that Saros could bring Nashville a worthy trade return that if is accurate, Trotz would have to be asleep at the wheel to ignore.

Larkin suggests a first-round pick, a talented prospect and even a starter that's already NHL ready. The most tantalizing of that package for me to further boost the long-term rebuild is that first round pick.

Trotz is going to have a really hard time deciding on whether to or not to pull the trigger on trading his franchise goalie. It might come down to a matter of pride and ego, but you can't accept being a perennial playoff bubble team every year. And trading Saros doesn't necessarily mean the rest of the season is a waste afterwards.