Report: Predators' Juuse Saros to sign 8-year extension Monday – Hockey Writers – Predators Goaltending

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Nashville Predators will sign goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year contract on Monday (July 1). It was reported by Chris Johnston that the deal will carry an average annual salary of approximately $7.74 million. The contract will begin in the 2025-26 season. Saros went 35-24-5 with a 2.86 goals-against average and .906 save percentage this season.

With the goaltending market seeing Jacob Markstrom, Linus Ullmark, and Darcy Kuemper find new teams this offseason, it was widely thought that Saros could be the next name to be shipped. At just 29 years old, he would have been a key player in trades for teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Carolina Hurricanes. Now, he can lock himself away in Nashville for what could be the remainder of his career.

The extension shows Predators general manager Barry Trotz believes in the current context. Saros led the team to fourth place in the Central Division before falling to the Vancouver Canucks in six games in Round 1 of the 2024 Playoffs. With a young core of NHL talent and high hopes, Saros has become a mainstay of a future Stanley Cup contender.

Related: 2024 NHL Free Agency Tracker

The Predators have top prospect Yaroslavv Askarov (22) waiting in the wings, and this extension puts his future with the team in question. With Kevin Lankinen set to hit the free agent market this Monday (July 1), Askarov appears likely to play a role in Nashville in the future. However, Frank Seravalli believes the plan is to start Askarov in the AHL to start next season, and if so, Askarov could be a name to keep an eye on in the headlines.