Is it October yet?
Unfortunately, no, but we're here to help pass the time. From Aug. 8 to Sept. 4, 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 Juuse Saros.
24 Nashville Predators in 24 days series
As an NHL prospect
Saros began his junior career with Hämeenlinnan Pallokerho (HPK), playing the majority of his draft year, 2012-13, with their U20 team. In 37 games, Saros had a save percentage of .933 and and 3.11 goals against average.
In an era where Pekka Rinne dominated, the Nashville Predators planned for the future with another Finnish goalie, selecting Saros 99th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft.
The following season, he returned to HPK and played in Liiga, Finland's top professional hockey league. Saros posted a 1.76 goals against average and a .928 save percentage in 44 games, with a 17-16-9 record and seven shutouts.
He played six playoff games, posting a 2-4 record with a 2.29 goals against average and a .903 save percentage.
Saros also backstopped Finland to a gold medal at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship, posting a 5-1 record with a 1.57 goals against average and a .943 save percentage
He returned to HPK the following season, posting a 13-18-16 record and six shutouts with a 2.14 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.
Saros returned to the IIHF World Junior Championship that winter, playing in two games, posting a 3.03 goals against average and .875 save percentage.
Professional career
For the 2015-16 season, Saros made the jump to North America, playing with the Milwaukee Admirals.
He made 38 appearances, posting a 29-8-0 record with a 2.24 goals against average and .920 save percentage. Saros played one game in Nashville, which was a 4-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
Saros joined Finland for the IIHF World Championships, playing in two games.
The following season was when Saros' time in Nashville began to increase. He played 21 games with the Predators during the 2016-17 season, posting a 10-8-3 record as a backup with a 2.35 goals against average and a .923 save percentage.
Saros also played two games in the Predators run to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.
In Milwaukee that season, Saros played 15 games, posting a 13-2-0 record with a 1.86 goals against average and .934 save percentage.
The 2017-18 season was the final year that Saros split time between Nashville and Milwaukee. With the Admirals, Saros played nine games, posting a 3-5-1 record with a 2.88 goals against average and a .906 save percentage.
In Nashville, Saros played 26 games with an 11-5-7 record and three shutouts. He had a 2.45 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. He also played in four playoff games.
Upon the retirement of Rinne in the 2021 offseason, Saros took over the starting role for the following season. As a starter, Saros played in 67 games, posting a 38-25-3 record with four shutouts. He had a 2.64 goals against average and a .918 save percentage.
Saros had his best statistical season the following year, the 2022-23 season, where he posted a 33-23-7 record with two shutouts. He had a 2.69 goals against average and a .919 save percentage.
From 2023 to now, his numbers have steadily declined. This past season, he played 58 games, posting a 20-31-6 record, but had four shutouts. Saros had a 2.98 goals against average and a .896 save percentage, the lowest of his professional career.
Saros also represented Finland twice in international competition. At the 4 Nations Face-Off, he played in two games, posting a 3.96 goals against average and .870 save percentage.
At the IIHF World Championship, Saros played in six games, posting a 4-2-0 record. He had a goals against average of 1.67 and a save percentage of .943.
He is entering the first year of a massive eight-year, $61.92 million contract.
What role will he play this season?
We're back into the reoccurring theme of the Predators signing players to bad contracts.
While Saros has been consistent in net and is the top Finnish goalie in the league right now, locking him down for eight years, while his numbers are diminishing, doesn't look good.
His numbers declined when he took over the starting role, as expected, but stayed pretty consistent for that first season. During the 2023-24 season, his save percentage dropped by .013 and it took a steep dive this past season, dropping by .010.
Saros had an under .900 save percentage for the first time in his career. The Predators had a historically bad season, but seeing Saros begin to fall off is concerning.
Saros gets added to this theme of the Predators bouncing back this season. He needs to boost his numbers this year, or the Predators could see themselves in yet another situation where they are stuck with a bad contract.
On top of needing to prove himself with the Predators, Saros is also playing for Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics. His last international outing in a best-on-best tournament was a disaster as he went 0-2 and had a .870 save percentage.
Saros has proven before that he can be one of the top goalies in the league and is still in that category. However, this is going to be a big year to prove that the 30-year-old is not in a decline.