Predators GM updates where he stands on trading All-Star goalie Juuse Saros
Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros.
The Nashville Predators’ goalie surplus is a problem most teams would kill to have.
Two-time All-Star Juuse Saros has been the center of trade speculation for the better part of two seasons now, and many believe general manager Barry Trotz’s best chance at acquire the high-end, top-line forward he’s been searching for is by parting with Saros to do it.
However, the second-year GM told the Tennessean on Thursday that he had no desire to trade his 29-year-old star goaltender, or his backup Yaroslav Askarov, who was recently named the top goaltending prospect in the American Hockey League.
“I would say the chances [of trading either] are nil, almost,” Trotz said. “… There's a couple of teams that have called me about our situation here, but I am totally fine with where we are at (keeping Saros and Askarov).”
Saros has been one of the top goaltenders in the NHL since taking over as the Predators’ full-time starter in 2019. Over that span, he ranks second in shots against (8,266) and saves (7,573), third in wins (144) and save percentage (.916) and fifth in goals-against average (2.67) and shutouts (16).
He also finished fourth in voting for the Vezina Trophy last season, given annually to the top goalie in the NHL, and he was a finalist the year before that.
Saros’ name has been linked by several NHL insiders to several teams in the last year including the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators.
Conversely, some feel Askarov is the future of the Predators, thus making Saros expendable. Trotz dangled Askarov’s name during the 2023 NHL draft in an attempt to trade into the top five.
However, it seems Trotz is content holding onto both and employing a 1A-1B situation in net, similar to what the Predators did with Saros and Pekka Rinne from 2016-20.
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