Juuse Saros has proven to be a very good regular season goaltender, but when it has come to the playoffs, he has had a tougher go. His play in net for the Nashville Predators against the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2024 playoffs could very well determine the direction the Predators choose to take in goal and his next contract. The first seven postseason appearances Saros made were in relief and he posted a .925 SV% over three years. Those games all came between 2017-19, but it was only in 2020 when he took over as the starter in the Predators net and began starting games in the playoffs. Saros has made 11 starts in his career in the postseason and has posted a .909 SV%. While that is just fine for the regular season, it isn't elite and very likely won't win his team a Stanley Cup. In nine of those 11 games he has started in the playoffs, Saros has allowed three or more goals. As the games get tighter and mistakes stand out more in the postseason, he is going to have to shut the door if the Predators want to get out of the first round this season. Nashville Predators head coach Andrew Brunette speaks to the media following the team's 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1. Saros has one more year left on his deal at $5 million AAV and the Predators put trust in him by keeping him around while trade rumors were swirling. While I believe it was the right choice, some players are regular season performers, some are playoff performers, and some can do both. Saros has just proven to dominate the regular season thus far in his career as a starter. The Predators and Saros can start discussing an extension this summer, so how the goalie plays in this year's playoffs could determine a lot in negotiations. A netminder like Andrei Vasilevskiy who has had regular season and playoff success got a massive deal. While a Vezina Trophy at the time helped with that, Saros has finished top-five in Vezina Trophy voting in three consecutive years. Not only do the Predators have to determine what Saros is worth to them on a potential next deal if he can't step up in the playoffs and take over a series, it will determine the length of the contract as well. 11 games isn't a ton to go off of as a starter and the Predators do look like they will be getting better in the coming years. But for the most part, goaltending has played a huge part in teams hoisting the Stanley Cup. Saros is definitely going to get a raise and a multi-year contract, but if he allows three goals in every game in the series against the Canucks and the Predators are eliminated early, they may re-evaluate and just let the final year play out. Yaroslav Askarov is on his way, but likely won't be at Saros' level for a number of years yet. If Nashville doesn't necessarily like what they see in this series from Saros, contract talks could be on hold or a much different contract could be offered than if he were to put together some great games. A lot seems to be riding on this series, even after the lack of expectations coming into this season for the Predators. RECENT PREDATORS NEWS Predators Players, Brunette Preview First Round vs. Canucks: 'It's Going to be a Battle' [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/predators-players-brunette-preview-first-round-vs-canucks-its-going-to-be-a-battle] 3 Ex-Predators Defensive Draft Picks Primed for Key Playoff Roles [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/3-ex-predators-defensive-draft-picks-primed-for-key-playoff-roles] Nashville Predators Proven Success: Haven't Had Losing Season in Over a Decade, Claim Top-5 Ranking [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/nashville-predators-proven-success-havent-had-losing-season-in-over-a-decade-claim-top-5-ranking] Predators Enter 2024 Playoffs With 10th Best Stanley Cup Odds [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/predators-enter-2024-playoffs-with-10th-best-stanley-cup-odds]
