Nashville Predators
Could Saros Find His Name on the Predators’ Trading Block?
Juuse Saros has struggled to find his game lately. If he doesn’t start playing like a Vezina Candidate, Trotz could say goodbye.
The Nashville Predators are on a seasonal-best four-game winning streak and don’t look to be stopping anytime soon. Despite their performance, there have been some inconsistencies, especially in the net. In the Predators’ 7-5 victory against the San Jose Sharks this Tuesday, goaltender Juuse Saros let in four of five before he was pulled. When looking back at the first-period highlights (yes, all four were scored in one period), a lot of these shots look like they could’ve been avoided if it weren’t for miscalculations on his part. Is it the end of the road for Saros, or should the Predators wait a bit longer?
Saros Has Played Inconsistently Over the Past Two Years
Saros, 29, has been a huge part of the success the Predators have seen in the past few years. His Vezina-worthy performance in the 2022-23 season nearly brought the Predators to the playoffs but ultimately missed by a few points. That season Saros recorded a 33-23-7 record with a whopping 0.919 save percentage and a 2.69 goals-against-on-average. Along with two shutouts, Saros was one of the most clutch players in the league at the time.
Two years later, Saros has come nowhere near those numbers. Last season, he put up a 0.906 SV% with a 2.86 GAA. This year, he has performed at an even lower level with a 0.902 SV% and 2.81 GAA. While an argument can be made that the team has gotten worse defensively, league stats show otherwise. In Saros’ peak stat year, the team let in 238 goals against, which equates to a 2.90 goals-against-per-game. In the year that Saros’ stats dipped, the team allowed 248 goals against, which is a 3.02 goals-against-per-game. The between the years has not been drastically different, and the stats show it.
What is Going On With Saros, Then?
Being a goalie and recording above-average stats is often hit-and-miss. A lucky bounce could turn a well-played game into a lopsided mess. For Saros, he has had his fair share of tip-ins scored against. He even made it onto an NHL commercial about wild tipping both in the game and in the store.
His stature of 5’11” makes him the shortest goalie in the league, making him prone to tip-ins. While his height gives him excellent sliding abilities and speed in the crease, it is his Achilles heel. We have seen multiple goals scored in areas Saros can’t cover due to his size. This is especially true when it comes to one-timers, as shown in the Sharks game. Half of the goals Saros allowed in were one-timers which were nearly impossible to save with his size. Despite his height, Saros has been acclaimed as being confident in the crease.

In this case, confidence is not the key to success. Every Predators fan knows that feeling when they see Saros get out of the net to play the puck. On Tuesday, Saros played the puck, and the Sharks capitalized and scored their second of the night with a near wide-open net. If you are 5’11” and can’t block the net of any long-range shots, then you shouldn’t be playing the puck.
Saros’ Contract Is Tradeable for Only One Season
If the Predators get extremely desperate this trade deadline, Saros may be a piece to move from. He is one of the only stars on the team that can be moved, partially due to massive deals across the roster. Saros signed a huge eight-year, $61.9 million contract this offseason, which gives him a full no-movement clause until the last two years. However, he still is technically not under the extension just yet.
This season, Saros is getting paid only $5 million and finishing his bridge deal. This deal does not have an NMC, which could allow for a trade anywhere the team desires. While it is highly unethical of GM Barry Trotz to even consider this, it’s still a business. Multiple teams are going through issues such as this, for example, the Vancouver Canucks with Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. It isn’t anything new and could be done with only one problem: cap space.
Even though Saros is only getting paid $5 million this year, a trade would require a massive cap move since he would get paid $7.74 million each year forward. There are only a handful of teams that could handle this contract and only a couple that actually make sense for a trade. One of these teams is the Columbus Blue Jackets who haven’t had a reliable first-string goaltender in years. Saros could slide in and replace Elvis Merzlikins, giving Columbus some safety in the net.
Next: Have the Predators Finally Found Their Game?
