Is it October yet?
Unfortunately, no, but we're here to help pass the time. From Aug. 8 to Sept. 1, The Hockey News Nashville Predators will be counting down 24 players in 24 days, profiling every current or potentially rostered player.
Today's player profile is goalie Justus Annunen.
24 Nashville Predators in 24 days series
As an NHL prospect
In his draft year, 2018, Annunen played his junior hockey with Oulun Kärpät's under-20 squad and made one appearance with the Oulun Kärpät's top club in the Finnish Elite League.
During the 2017-18 season, Annunen played in 26 games, posting a 19-5-0 record and four shutouts. He had a 2.31 goals against average and a .907 save percentage. In the postseason, he played nine games with an 8-4 record and two shutouts. Annunen had a 1.83 goals against average and a .935 save percentage in the playoffs.
He also played for Finland at the 2018 IIHF U18 World Champions, backstopping the Finns to a gold medal. Annunen went undefeated in all six games he played, posting a 2.00 goals against average and a .914 save percentage.
He was selected by the Colorado Avalanche 64th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, but would spend the next three seasons in Finland.
The following season, Annunen joined Kokkolan Hermes in Mestis, Finland's second-highest professional league. He played 22 games, posting a 12-7-2 record and one shutout. Annunen had a 2.77 goals against average and a .891 save percentage.
For the 2019-20 season, Annunen was bumped up to Oulun Kärpät's top team, posting a 1.77 goals against average and a .929 save percentage in 23 games. In his final season in Finland, 2020-21, he had played 24 games with Oulun Kärpät, finishing with 2.43 goals against average and .880 save percentage.
Professional career
Annunen played just two games with the Colorado Eagles (AHL) during the 2020-21 season, going 0-1-1. He played the following season with the Eagles full-time, posting a 3.01 goals against average and a .893 save percentage in 48 games with a 24-13-6 record.
He also logged his first games in the NHL that season, playing two games with the Avalanche. Annunen posted a 1-0-1 record, with a 4.34 goals against average and a .863 save percentage.
Annunen was called up to dress in the 2022 Western Conference Finals after Darcey Kuemper suffered an upper-body injury. The Avalanche went on to win the Stanley Cup and Annunen celebrated with the team, but his name was not engraved on the Cup as he did not play.
Annunen was utilized again twice by the Avalanche during the 2022-23 season, but played 41 games with the Eagles. The following year, he played 14 games with the Avalanche, posting a 14-5-4 record, with a 2.65 goals against average and .908 save percentage.
During the 2024-25 season, Annunen had played 11 games with the Avalanche, posting a 6-4-0 record before he was traded to the Predators for Scott Wedgewood. With Nashville, Annunen played a career-high 23 NHL games, going 9-11-1 with a 3.17 goals against average and a .888 save percentage.
He is entering the final year of a 2-year, $1.675 million contract.
What role will he play this season?
The Predators love their Finnish goalies and now have two solid ones.
Annunen isn't rivaling Juuse Saros' starting spot, but he is starting to develop into a decent NHL goalie. Goaltenders take a while to develop and it looks like Annunen may be close to fully blossoming.
The Predators had a rough season, so they gave their backup a lot of minutes. Considering Annunen played a career high 23 games last season, there's really no reason for he to want to leave if Nashville is only going to give him games.
He is a bit younger than Saros at 25, and Saros is 30, so he could be a good piece to keep on for the future, as Annunen could take over the starting role in the next few seasons.
For now, he's a solid backup, and if he continues to own that role, it should be good for his growth. He could make a push for that starting spot, considering how long the season is, but there's a lot of potential ahead for Annunen.