With the trade deadline looming and several teams looking for a solid goaltender to help with a playoff push, Juuse Saros' name is one of the hottest when it comes to trade speculation.
Although his has been his worst statistical season in his career, there is plenty in the 28-year-old net minder's complete body of work to make him a very appealing target for teams who need better in net.
One team rumored to be interested in Saros is the New Jersey Devils. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald got a close look at Saros last week as he came to Nashville as part of the Predators' Captains Night celebration before the Predators played the Devils. While Nashville lost that game 4-2, Fitzgerald watched as Saros made 43/46 saves.
Last week Predators GM Barry Trotz talked to Jared Stillman on 102.5 The Game's Stillman and Company and said that Fitzgerald had talked with him about goaltending.
"Me and Fitzy talk all the time," Trotz said in the interview. "Not necessarily about Juice but I know goaltending. He always circles back and I go 'oh, this is what we need if we're going to do something like that'."
Trotz went on to say that any deal for Saros would have to come with an impressive offer.
"I made it very public," Trotz said. "It has to be something that will shake me a little bit and make sense for both teams or I'm not gonna. I'm in no hurry to do it."
Could the Devils put together an offer that would shake Trotz?
NJ.com's Ryan Novozinsky suggested in a recent article that the price to get Saros to New Jersey could be a deal that need to involve a young "right now" piece, a prospect, and a draft pick. Novozinsky suggested a player like Dawson Mercer or Alexander Holtz might attract interest in Nashville.
Mercer is an intriguing player for the Predators. In his second season with the Devils he scored 27 goals and 56 points, and he's played all 82 games in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. At just 22 years old, Mercer could be a long term piece for a "resetting" Predators team focused on getting young prospects into the lineup over the next few seasons as the team works to get back to being a serious contender.
Novozinsky also mentioned another 22-year-old forward on the Devils roster, Alexander Holtz. The Swedish winger was the seventh overall pick in the 2020 draft and is working hard this season to prove that he has a future in the NHL. There have been glimpses of high potential for Holtz but also growing pains as he develops his 200 foot game.
According to Novozinsky, prospect Seamus Casey is someone the Devils could add to a package to entice Trotz to pull the trigger on a Saros deal. The 2022 second round draft pick and University of Michigan defenseman has an offensive side to his game that may boost the appeal of a deal, although the Predators have plenty of defensive depth coming up through the AHL.
Adding a young "right now" piece to the Predators roster with a draft pick and a prospect is likely the level of "knock my socks off" deal Barry Trotz is looking for when it comes to Juuse Saros. The asking price may be too high to get it done, though. The Devils may not want to part with a young roster player and they are rumored to be interested in a few other goaltender who could potentially go for less.
Whether Barry Trotz gets a deal for Saros he can't say no to remains to be seen, but the Predators GM is taking the calls to see what is out there.
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