As of February 15th, the Central Division has been extremely tight. Battling for the top three playoff spots are the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Winnipeg Jets. All teams are multiple points ahead of the wildcard spot of their conference. Facing a long path to a playoff spot, the Nashville Predators have been struggling to give themselves a name in the Central Division this season. With the battle to crack for a spot in the playoff bracket growing, the Predators may have no other option but to trade away one of their key assets — Jusse Saros.
Juuse Saros: A Name to Watch at the Trade Deadline
One player that has caught the attention of teams around the league is Preds netminder Juuse Saros. The 2023-24 season has been a tough year for the 28-year-old Finnish goalie as he has been putting up lower numbers than he did last season.
Since the 15th, Saros has posted a .903 save percentage with 2.97 goals against on average. When compared to last season’s numbers of a .919 save percentage with 2.69 goals against, it looks like the team might be to blame.
With this in mind, other franchises have looked to Saros to be their number one in net. With Saros having two years left on his $5 million AAV deal, it may just be the right time to pick up the elite goalie. Who might be looking his way?
New Jersey Devils
An obvious location that Saros could be shipped to is the New Jersey Devils. Currently, the Devils have Vitek Vanecek playing the starting position; posting a .890 save percentage and 3.18 goals against. New Jersey has been looking for a “real” starting goaltender for the last few years but with no success There have been rumors in the past of Jersey’s interest in number 74.
The Devils, for the time being, are a spot behind the Detroit Red Wings for a wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference, standing with a 27-21-4 record. With center Jack Hughes returning to the lineup, a playoff push could be achieved with a true goalie.
Carolina Hurricanes
Another destination Saros could be sent to is yet another Eastern Conference team, in the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes are playing Pyotr Kochetkov, who has so far tallied a .902 save percentage with 2.52 goals against. With the Canes loading up in the offseason prior, it was definite that they were looking for a deep playoff run. A goaltender like Saros would be a great pick-up for Carolina.
The Canes sit comfortably in a playoff spot just behind the New York Rangers, carrying a 30-17-5 record. If the Canes want to contend any time soon, a true starting goalie is a must; and Juuse Saros is a perfect fit.
It makes sense why a team like the Canes would want to acquire such a player, especially one from Finland. A handful of the team’s roster is Finnish such as all-star Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, and fellow goalie Antti Raanta. Saros would feel right at home and would have the best shot to make a playoff run with his fellow Fins.
Edmonton Oilers
Just coming out of a 16-game win streak, the Edmonton Oilers are making a comeback in the standings after a miserable start to the season. With starting goalie Jack Campbell being sent to the minors, the Oilers have to depend on sophomore goalie Stuart Skinner to carry their team to a Stanley Cup.
This is very unlikely to happen as Skinner is only in his second year of his NHL career and with this pressure being put on his back, it is not a good situation for the Oilers franchise. It could be optimal to pick up elite goalie talent, such as Saros.
Like the Hurricanes situation, Saros would have a reason to feel at home. After being dealt to the Oilers in last season’s trade deadline by the Predators, Mattias Ekholm would be someone to whom Saros could have a connection. Ekholm is a leader in the locker room, as shown by his time in Nashville. He could help mentor Saros and assist him in fitting in with the orange and blue.
With the lineup consisting of generational talents, in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, an elite netminder would be the difference maker between falling in the second round and winning their first Stanley Cup since the Gretzky era.
As the deadline creeps closer, Predators’ General Manager Barry Trotz will have to make a franchise-changing decision. Do they trade their next supposed Pekka Rinne, and move Juuse Saros?
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