Predators and goalkeeper Jose Saros A new contract can't be officially agreed upon until Monday, but according to a report from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, they appear to be close to an agreement in principle.Twitter LinkThe two sides are believed to be close to agreeing to an eight-year contract extension, according to NBA. Financial terms are unclear, but Friedman added that if the deal goes through, the AAV would start at seven years. Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reported (Twitter Link) said the cap charge should be around $7.74 million. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic added:Twitter Link) Details are still being finalized, but the framework for an agreement is in place.
The 29-year-old Saros has evolved from a rarely used reserve player early in his career into one of the NHL's true workhorse goalies in recent years. He's led the league in appearances each of the past three years and recorded the most shots and saves in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, making him a bargain on a contract that averages $5 million per year through the 2024-25 season.
This season, Saros appeared in 64 games and posted a 2.86 ERA and a .906 save percentage, the worst numbers of his career. However, given the workload and the fact that Nashville had several rookies after revamping their roster over the summer, it's not surprising he got off to a somewhat quiet start. After the All-Star break, however, Saros was more effective, posting a .912 save percentage and leading the team to a franchise-best 18-game point streak. The streak helped the Predators make the playoffs, but they were eliminated in the opening round by Vancouver.
Despite his performance in recent years, there has been speculation that Saros could be on the market in a trade this summer. Yaroslav Askarov He is one of the best NHL goaltender prospects in the system and isn't far from being NHL-ready. This potential deal calls into question Askarov's long-term future with the franchise, but the two goaltenders could work together for at least a few years, allowing the 22-year-old Askarov to gradually become more comfortable in the NHL. In the meantime, according to Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff, the team plans to search for a backup goaltender in free agency.Twitter Link).
The Predators have generally been reluctant to include trade protection clauses in contracts, but general manager Barry Trotz suggested earlier this week that any new deal would likely include a limited no-trade clause.
Assuming the price tag is around $7.5 million as reported, that works out to about $750,000 less per season. Connor Hellebueck Many felt the contract he received from Winnipeg in the fall would be the direct comparison in negotiations, but Saros appears content to take something a little less than that amount to ensure he remains with the team for the long term and, in the process, ensure long-term stability at that position for the Predators.
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