Until Saros signs a contract, teams in search of a top goaltender won't stay away.
As Juuse Saros is going into the final year of his contract and there doesn't seem to be an urgency from his camp to sign an extension just yet, rumors will continue to swirl surrounding the Nashville Predators' starting goalie.
There are a number of teams that seem heavily invested in acquiring a top tier goaltender as it could be the last piece to solve their woes. One team in particular that has reportedly contacted the Predators about Saros is the Ottawa Senators.
Bruce Garrioch says that the most likely area that the Senators are going to try to improve is in net. Not only does this mean somehow moving on from Joonas Korpisalo and/or Anton Forsberg, but bringing in someone who the team can rely upon to start 50+ games, put up big numbers, and win games for them.
Saros is definitely everything a team could want in a starting goalie, but there has been no indication that the Predators are going to move him. The Senators' general manager Steve Staios is doing his due diligence and covering all potential avenues to upgrade in net.
I believe that if the Senators get someone like Saros, they could finally get back into the playoffs. The seventh overall pick in the 2024 draft is reportedly in play for the Senators, so that would have to be a starting piece if Nashville is to even entertain the possibility of a trade.
In reality, the Predators still have over a year of Saros not signing a contract before the team loses his rights and he becomes a UFA. The Predators' elite starter is going to want a pretty sizable raise and that's fair. He has finished in the top-6 of Vezina Trophy voting in three consecutive seasons prior to 2023-24.
Money isn't the issue right now and as Saros gets older, having Yaroslav Askarov slowly come into the NHL, play behind Saros, and eventually take over as the starter would be a great transition while keeping the Predators competitive throughout the years. I don't see Nashville moving on from Saros this early, but we'll have to wait and see what the next year brings as things could change in a hurry.
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