Is a Goaltending Move in Nashville Inevitable This Season?

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros has been mentioned in trade rumors. Is a goaltending move inevitable as the Predators look to the future in net?

With just over two weeks left until the NHL trade deadline, there is plenty of speculation about what decisions Barry Trotz will make between now and March 8. With eight unrestricted free agents and a market with plenty of murmurs about Juuse Saros, anything could happen with the current Predators roster. 

On Tuesday, Barry Trotz talked to 102.5 The Game's Stillman and Company about what is next for the Predators and for the promising prospects in the pipeline. Trotz is committed to giving Nashville's current roster as much time as he can to show what they can contribute to a resetting Predators team before he has to make decisions ahead of the deadline. 

"If we have a great road trip and we're trending in the right way, we will give the players the tools necessary that hopefully they need to get there," Trotz said. 

"It might be one of those eleventh hour decisions that have to be made on certain things."

Decisions are looming about the Predators goaltending. Juuse Saros has been mentioned in potential trade talk, and Trotz didn't shy away from confirming that at least a few of the calls he is taking are about Nashville's starting goaltender.  Nashville's GM said that about 90% of the calls he is on with other General Managers are about other players on the Predators roster, but there are a few conversations about Saros.

"That's probably as accurate as I can be with you right now," Trotz said to host Jared Stillman.

But it seems like  a goaltending move may be imminent as Trotz talked about what needs to happen next for young Yaroslav Askarov. The 21-year-old Milwaukee Admirals net minder has helped lead his AHL team on a 17 game win streak and has won all twelve of his starts since January.

When asked what the next step in Askarov's development should be, Trotz was clear.

"I think the next step obviously for Asky is to get him more NHL games," Trotz said. "Get him meaningful games. He's had some down there, but he needs some up here."

It sounds like Trotz wants to make that move sooner rather than later.

"If they happen to be in a playoff race, that would be fantastic," Trotz continued. 

"The more like he can spend with guys like Saros and Lankinen and those guys, I think it only enhances his ability to fully adjust to the NHL."

Trotz has been very upfront that any deal to move Saros out of Nashville would have to come with a very appealing "knock my socks off" package. Teams that may have interest in Saros may not be willing to part with the game changing players on their roster it would take as those teams look towards the postseason themselves. 

Don't overlook a deal for Kevin Lankinen. While Lankinen clearly won't bring the kind of return that Saros would, there are plenty of teams that may want to bolster their goalie tandem going into the playoffs. Despite his basic stats this season, Lankinen has shown he can play against top teams and keep his team in games. Lankinen is one of Nashville's eight UFAs, and Trotz will likely want to get something in a trade deal before letting him go for free at the end of the season. 

If the next steps for Yaroslav Askarov mean more NHL minutes, it looks like a goalie move may be inevitable in Nashville. The question may come down to how Barry Trotz will make space for the young goaltender before the deadline.