[RE-SIGNED] Saros - 4 yrs/$5 mil AAV

[tweetdrivr]

Nashville and Juuse Saros have a four-year, $20M extension to avoid arbitration

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/stat...60164911009793

[Axeman33]

No question who the starter is there now.

[Dr.Brad]

Is Nashville just a shadow of what they were? It’s hard to see RyJo and Duchene back to what they once were, and I see the Preds below COL WPG MIN STL DAL CHI…. Saros imo is quality, but he’s going to look like “John Gibson East.”

[tweetdrivr]

Nashville's D is worlds better than Anaheim's. I don't think I Gibson is a good comparable.

[Feenom]

Nice signing for team and Saros. The crease is all his for now.

[CHunter]

So, we are 3-4 years away from Askarov era now?

[Dr.Brad]

So, we are 3-4 years away from Askarov era now?

Yeah. I think that was my point. Let Arvidsson go (without getting Tyler Madden back), let Ellis go for Philippe Myers, Farrance and Fabbro each a couple years away…. Saros will have to be great to make Nashville just “good.” Askarov will inherit the spoils.

[stevegamer]

So, we are 3-4 years away from Askarov era now?

I felt that was the timeline before this signing. He's been clearly ready to be their next starter.

[newper114]

I own Askarov and this made me pause a min but in reality it’s rare we see a goalie playing in the nhl before 25/26. Only a select few as starters. He should be that group but this let’s NsH gm through the retool and changes they need to.

After looking at this more I think wensee Askarov by year 3 in the NHL and taking over starter role midway through the year. Now based on timing of khl season we might see him in year 2 of this deal for some games.

[Eli26]

So, we are 3-4 years away from Askarov era now?

I don't see it that way. Look at where and how goalies develop. Netminders are at their peak into their 30's... Juuse Saros will be 28/29 in 3-4 years and IMO he's a top 5-10 NHL goalie right now. I think he got snubbed for the Vezina, or at least the candidacy. People forget outside of a bad 7 February contests, where he posted an abysmal .880 save percentage, he had a .941 save percentage for a stretch of 29 games on a average Nashville Predators team that were sellers mid-way through the season. The Winnipeg Jets were in the running for Mattias Ekholm. David Poille took him off the market the minute Nashville started winning and it was mainly on the back of one man... Saros. I feel Yaroslav Askarov was merely an insurance plan and gave the Preds more stability in net for the future when the eventual retirement of Pekka Rinne took place, which was this off season. It doesn't mean that Juuse isn't in the long term plans. It's smart to have stability and a strong tandem in net for years. Saros is probably the quickest goalie on his feet and one of the most athletic, as he has to be considering he's one of the smallest goalies in the game and the smallest NHL starter right now.

Great signing. Same deal as Linus Ullmark and he's younger and IMO doesn't come with the injury woes.

[2014olympicgold]

So...the issue for me is....Does the team think they are competing? And I get you need a sacrificial goalie sometimes (Detroit, Buffalo), but is this a fan service re-signing? I get that you can't from a business standpoint just not sign Saros, but if they are selling, do they think they'll move Saros in a couple of yrs maybe for pieces?

Or years 3 and 4 he's a mentor for their next guy? I get how some teams just can't sell off and scorch earth to rebuild, but man...it's gonna be a 3-6yrs for Preds unless something turns around because of the immediate future mediocrity and the subsequent yrs past that.

Signing is good, the reasoning is for business and what gets them wins, but I don't think this gets them closer to winning the cup, but also doesn't set them back. But what do I know, I'm just a forum guy.