Saros' Future: 5 Teams Looking for Upgrade in Net

The future of Nashville Predators' starting goalie Juuse Saros is going to be a topic of discussion until he either signs a contract, is traded, or hits free agency in a year. While the latter is a long way away, if contract talks drag out or things change within the organization, it could come up quicker than expected.

While my stance on Saros remains the same, believing that the Predators shouldn't move on from him and do everything they can to keep an elite goalie like that around, there are still some teams around the league in search of a starter like him. The choices are dwindling after Jacob Markstrom and Darcy Kuemper were just moved as well.

Teams With Goalie Interest

While the New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings are off the market for a goalie this offseason at least, reports are that teams like the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, and Utah are still wanting upgrades.

Related: What the Jacob Markstrom & Darcy Kuemper Trades Mean for the Predators & Juuse Saros

Alexandre Georgiev had a great first season with the Avalanche, but despite playing 63 games this season and winning 38, struggled with a .897 SV% in the regular season and the playoffs. The Avalanche are still in their window to win the Stanley Cup again and won't do so with a SV% that low from the clear starter. Justus Annunen may turn into a solid starter in time, but the 24-year-old has 18 career games under his belt.

The Hurricanes are in an interesting position. The team has Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov signed for next season, but Carolina can't seem to get away from the injuries or time missed from their goalies, particularly Andersen. That isn't to say he didn't play great when he was healthy, but the uncertainty in net for a team this good continues to hurt them.

The Red Wings can't be expected to get as much out of Alex Lyon this season. He was an amazing story, but is a 1b or backup. The team is still fortunate to have him under contract, but the real problem is Ville Husso's ability to play up to the level the Red Wings need to finally get back to the playoffs. The Red Wings seem to be in a similar spot to the Predators in net as Sebastian Cossa is on his way like Yaroslav Askarov has almost arrived. Detroit does need a goalie and they can be a playoff team.

Of the teams with interest in goaltending still, the Senators are the most obvious. They have a young core and what really dragged the team down was very poor play in net all season. Joonas Korpisalo was not the answer and could be gone, but Anton Forsberg had an equally bad year with a .890 SV% as well. It's hard to say if the young goalies in the system are the answer, so to take the necessary step, the Senators have to bring in a clear cut upgrade.

Utah has been rebuilding and collecting pieces for long enough and are ready to turn that into a playoff appearance. Even though Connor Ingram is solid, there are still some question marks about the 27-year-old. After this season, I don't believe Karel Vejmelka is the answer for the team. This franchise has always done well in developing young and NHL-level goaltenders to be able to put together strong seasons. With a legitimate number one goalie, this could put Utah over the top next year.

Every team won't be satisfied in net each season and there will be interest in Saros until he's signed to a new contract. If any team is going to make a push for Nashville's starter, it's from this group. But if the Predators get an extension done soon or make it to the start of the season with their future in net intact, then there will be less to worry about for a while. I believe Saros is staying with the Predators, but interest won't die down until it's confirmed.

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