NHL News: Predators Hand Out Multi-Year Extension To Goaltender

Justus Annunen, Nashville Predators goalie

With Juuse Saros already under contract for eight years at a $7.74 million AAV, the Nashville Predators have now locked in his backup, Justus Annunen, to a two-year extension that kicks in next season. It'll be worth $1.25 million annually.

BIG JUICE FOR 2 MORE YEARS! 🤯

We've signed goaltender Justus Annunen to a 2-year contract starting in the 2026-2027 season.

More details » https://t.co/pVhlDV7WUT pic.twitter.com/jvGiVMN3x2
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) January 5, 2026

The contract numbers come in just short of the $1.46M AAV x 2 years that was projected before the season by AFP Analytics.

Annunen, 25, has appeared in 12 games this season, and owns a 3-5-1 mark with an .875 save percentage and a 3.29 goals-against average. He's picked it up, however, over his last three starts, with a .932 Sv%.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder was a third-round pick (64th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche. After parts of a few seasons in Denver in which he posted a .902 Sv% in 29 appearances, he was acquired by Nashville last season. Overall with the Preds, he's 12-16-2 in 29 starts, with an .884 Sv% and a 3.21 GAA.

The high point of his career came in the 2023-24 season in Colorado, when Annunen posted an impressive .928 SV% and 2.25 GAA in 14 appearances. That was at the age of 23, so the Predators obviously feel there are still good things to come for the Finnish netminder. And that's been evidenced by his last few starts.

With Saros on hand for the next several years, however, playing his usual 60 or so games, Annunen isn't expected to be shouldering too large of a load in Nashville.