This afternoon, Elliotte Friedman made his weekly appearance on 102.5 The Game’s Caroline, Willy, and D-Mase show, addressing a topic of significant interest for Nashville Predators fans and the broader NHL: the future of goaltender Juuse Saros.
Saros is up for a contract extension this summer as he enters the final season of his four-year, $20 million deal (with an annual average value of $5 million) signed in August 2021. With the July 1 deadline approaching, both Saros and New York Rangers’ goalie Igor Shesterkin are eligible for extensions.
Friedman suggested, and as I discussed in February leading up to the NHL trade deadline, that Saros’ agent, Kevin Epp of Titan Sports Management, is likely to wait and see how the Rangers handle Shesterkin’s contract before proceeding. Both goalies will likely use Connor Hellebuyck’s recent deal as a benchmark. The Winnipeg Jets re-signed Hellebuyck to a seven-year, $59.5 million contract (with an $8.5 million AAV) in October 2023, including a no-move clause for the first three seasons and a modified no-trade clause for the remaining four. These clauses probably helped keep the AAV within a ‘reasonable’ range.
Friedman commented:
“I do think [Shesterkin] is going to sign the richest goaltending contract in league history.”
This would mean Shesterkin could sign a deal exceeding $10 million AAV, surpassing the current highest-paid goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, who signed with the Florida Panthers in July 2019.
Friedman further explained how this might affect Saros:
“I’m sure that Saros’ agents are going to say hey, maybe we’re not [Shesterkin], but we’re 75 to 80% of him, so we want to get in that area. I have no doubt that you guys [in Nashville], you know, would like to max out probably Hellebuyck or a little bit less. . . . And I would expect Saros’ agents to wait for [Shesterkin] or to see how that goes to affect their own conversations.”
It’s clear that Saros’ agent will aim to position his client’s value close to Shesterkin’s. Waiting for Shesterkin’s deal to set a new market standard makes strategic sense. However, it’s also reasonable for the Predators to argue that Shesterkin, being younger and potentially more unique, isn’t a perfect comparison, which could be used to expedite negotiations.
Reflecting on my February comments, they remain pertinent following Friedman’s latest insights:
The future of the goaltending situation in Nashville remains uncertain, and clarity doesn’t seem imminent. While there’s a potential for Saros to continue with the Predators, the circumstances need to align perfectly. Prolonged uncertainty might increase the likelihood of considering a trade involving the Finnish netminder.
As summer progresses, two primary scenarios are emerging: The Predators could trade Saros to bolster their offensive capabilities, or they might adjust their roster and financial plans to incorporate Saros into their future strategy.
