Predators stay busy, add to goaltending depth

Goaltender Scott Wedgewood.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports the Nashville Predators have agreed to terms with goaltender Scott Wedgewood on a two-year contract. The deal carries an annual cap-hit of $1.5M, Seravalli notes.

Wedgewood has spent much of his career in the minor leagues, though he’s recently emerged as a capable backup – playing in just one AHL game since the 2020-21 season. That includes a full-time role backing up Jake Oettinger over parts of the last three seasons.

That role led Wedgewood to a career-high 32 appearances this season – setting 16 wins and a .899 save percentage. It was a modest showing – but proved Wedgewood’s ability to show up when called upon, bringing his career record to 48-48-22 with a .906 save percentage across 130 games. He managed similar totals in his stints in the minor leagues, tallying 94 wins and a .906 through 191 career games. Much of those came between his professional debut in 2012 and his move to the NHL in 2020.

Wedgewood will join the Predators in direct competition with top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov fighting for the backup spot behind the recently extended Juuse Saros. Whichever goalie loses out will move to the Milwaukee Admirals’ starting role, though even that spot could prove contentious after Troy Grosenick posted 17 wins and a .907 in 30 AHL games last year. Though, as it stands, Saros, Askarov and Wedgewood are the only goaltenders under contract with the Predators.

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