Predators & Juuse Saros Agree To Four-Year, $20 Million Deal

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Juuse Saros. Photo: Courtesy of the Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators have committed to goalie Juuse Saros, re-signing him to a four-year, $20 million deal. Saros was the Preds No. 1 goalie this past season and will continue to be after Pekka Rinne‘s recent retirement announcement in July.

Saros, 26, posted the best statistical season of his five-year NHL career in 2020-21, going 21-11-1 in 36 games. Saros established career highs in several categories, including wins (21), starts (35), goals-against average (2.28), and save percentage (.927) which helped him finish sixth in Vezina Trophy and 11th in Hart Trophy voting. Among NHL goaltenders who played in at least 25 games, Saros finished in the Top 10 in save percentage and goals-against average, as well as wins and shutouts.

“Juuse has proven himself as one of the best young goaltenders in the NHL, and we are very pleased to have him remain our No. 1 goaltender for years to come,” says Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile. “While being mentored by Pekka Rinne, he has spent the last several seasons growing and taking steps physically and mentally to become a top goalie in this league, as evident by his spot on the NHL’s All-Rookie Team in 2017-18 to finishing near the top of Vezina Trophy voting this past season. Juuse gives our team a chance to win in every game he plays, and we feel confident that with him leading the tandem we’ve established with David Rittich, our goaltenders will be a large part of our success in 2021-22.”

The Forssa, Finland native’s play in the second half of Nashville’s season helped propel the team to its seventh straight postseason berth. In his last 26 games of the campaign, dating back to Feb. 27, he went 18-6-1 with a 1.88 goals-against average, .941 save percentage, and three shutouts while allowing two-or-fewer goals in 20 of those starts. Saros, who was named the NHL’s Third Star of the Week for the week ending March 28, also won nine of 10 starts from March 23-April 13 and posted career highs in saves (49) and shots faced (55) on April 27 vs. Florida.

Saors was drafted by the Predators in the fourth round of the 2013 NHL Draft and 99th overall. He owns a career record of 76-47-17 in 139 starts and has won at least 17 games in each of his last three seasons. Saros has also tallied 14 career shutouts, the most among active NHL goalies his age or younger. Saros was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team in 2017-18 after leading all first-year goaltenders in goals-against average (2.45), save percentage (.925) and shutouts (3) and followed that up with a .915 save percentage and three shutouts in his sophomore campaign in 2018-19.

Steven Boero
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