NHL Rumors: Predators Could Trade Juuse Saros This Summer

Thursday, May 07, 2026
Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros takes a drink during 2026 game.

When the Nashville Predators signed Juuse Saros to an eight-year, $61.92 million contract on July 1, 2024, the deal was widely viewed as a reasonable commitment to one of the better goaltenders in the sport.

Two seasons later, it looks considerably more complicated.

Saros posted a .894 save percentage and a 3.16 goals-against average in 59 appearances this past season, going 28-22-8 while facing the most shots of any goaltender in the NHL for the second straight year.

His goals saved above expected of -9.3, per MoneyPuck, was among the worst marks in the league.

The year before was virtually identical: a .895 save percentage and -7.4 goals saved above expected across 58 games.

Those two seasons shows a goaltender who has been measurably below average in back-to-back campaigns after seven years of consistently elite play.

The Statistical Context

Saros' first eight full seasons of his career saw him post a save percentage above .900 in every one, including seven consecutive seasons above .910.

That level of sustained elite goaltending is rare, and it was the foundation on which Nashville built the eight-year extension.

His play fell off dramatically in the first year of that contract, and the issue was not just bad luck or poor defensive support, though both factors have played a role, as Pro Hockey Rumors' Josh Cybulski writes.

The Predators ranked among the league's worst teams in shot quality allowed for most of the past two seasons, forcing Saros to face not just high volumes but high-danger chances at an unusual rate.

But the goals saved above expected numbers are harder to explain away.

A goaltender consistently beating those metrics saves more goals than the expected baseline.

Saros has done the opposite in each of the last two seasons, meaning he has cost Nashville goals rather than saved them regardless of how difficult the shots were, according to Cybulski.

At 31 years old with seven years and approximately $54 million remaining on the contract, the question of whether this is a two-year blip or a more permanent decline is the one Nashville's new front office needs to answer honestly.

The No-Movement Clause Problem

The most significant obstacle to any trade discussion is the full no-movement clause that runs with the contract for five more years.

Saros controls where he goes entirely.

He cannot be moved without his consent, which means Nashville cannot simply send him to whichever team offers the best package.

Any trade requires Saros to buy into the destination and agree to waive his protection.

If he is playing on a team going nowhere and a contender comes calling with a legit path to a Stanley Cup, the waiver conversation becomes easier.

But if he is content in Nashville despite the team's direction, no deal is possible regardless of how much sense it makes organizationally.

The league-wide goaltender scarcity works in Nashville's favor if they do pursue a trade.

The Oilers' decision to acquire Tristan Jarry at considerable cost despite his well-documented inconsistencies is a good example of how desperate contending teams can become when the goaltending market is thin.

A goaltender of Saros' track record and age, even coming off two below-average seasons, would generate significant interest from teams with long memories of what he looked like before 2024-25.

The Predator also have Justus Annunen, who just wrapped up a solid season in a backup role, recording a .907 SV% with 10 wins and one shutout across 28 games played.

They also have Jack Ivankovic in the pipeline, who also just completed a very impressive season with the University of Michigan.

Photo Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

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