Destroyed 9 to 2 by the Dallas Stars on Thursday, the Nashville Predators find themselves outside the playoff picture and among the reasons explaining their troubles are the checkered performances of goaltender Juuse Saros, who could d elsewhere change address.
In his team’s humiliating setback at Bridgestone Arena, they had a terrible evening, illustrating the problems of head coach Andrew Brunette’s men. He gave up four times in 14 shots before heading to the bench. These are not numbers that will help the “Preds” get back on their feet, who occupy ninth place in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League by virtue of a delay of four points from a place in the playoffs .
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Also, the Tennessee organization has placed Saros on the trade market, according to TSN hockey expert Pierre LeBrun. Consequently, the goalkeeper is likely to pack his bags before March 8, but a few factors risk moderating the enthusiasm of clubs interested in his services. First, there are his rather modest statistics this season: a record of 20-21-2, a goals against average of 3.05 and an efficiency percentage of .901.
Then, the Predators’ potential demands on customers seem to pose a problem.
“In my opinion, Saros is the main guy on the market. […] Nevertheless, they are not fully committed to exchanging it, because they demand a lot in return. They want a good young player in the league included in a big compensation package. I’m told no one got on the boat from Nashville. It’s correct, since they are happy to count on him,” LeBrun explained on TSN.
Saros has a four-year, $20 million contract valid through the end of the 2024-25 campaign and will then be eligible for full free agency.