According to Elliotte Friedman, the Nashville Predators will extend goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year contract on Monday (July 1). It was reported by Chris Johnston that the deal will carry an annual average of approximately $7.74 million. The contract will begin in the 2025-26 season. Saros went 35-24-5 with a 2.86 goals-against average and .906 save percentage this season.
With the goaltending market seeing Jacob Markstrom, Linus Ullmark, and Darcy Kuemper find new squads this offseason, it was widely speculated Saros could be the next name to get shipped. At just 29 years old, he would have been a prime trade candidate for teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Carolina Hurricanes. Now, he can lock himself in Nashville for what could be the remainder of his career.
An extension shows Predators’ general manager Barry Trotz believes in the current core. Saros led the team to fourth place in the Central Division before ultimately falling to the Vancouver Canucks in six games in Round 1 of the 2024 Playoffs. With a young core of NHL talent and high-end prospects, Saros has become the cornerstone of a future Stanley Cup contender.
Related: 2024 NHL Free Agency Tracker
The Predators have top prospect Yaroslavv Askarov (22) waiting in the wings, and this extension puts his future with the team in question. With Kevin Lankinen set to hit the free agent market this Monday (July 1), Askarov would appear likely to assume the backup role in Nashville for the foreseeable future. However, Frank Seravalli believes the plan is to start Askarov in the AHL to begin next season, and if that is the case, Askarov may be a name to keep an eye on in the headlines.
