Nashville Predators, Juuse Saros Closing in on 8-Year Contract Extension: Report

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman seemingly put an end to the Juuse Saros trade rumors once and for all on Thursday, reporting that the Nashville Predators had agreed to an eight-year contract extension with their ace goaltender.

The Athletic's Chris Johnston clarified further that the extension – which will take effect once Saros' current contract is up in 2025-26 – would carry an AAV of $7.74 million. Saros, who wears No. 74, is expected to sign the deal once he is eligible to do so on July 1.

While the move solidifies Saros' future in Nashville, it raises further questions about that of goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov. Predators general manager Barry Trotz said on Thursday that the possibility of trading either of the netminders at the NHL Draft this weekend was "very unlikely," but many were of the belief that even in the event of a Saros extension Askarov would be promoted from the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals to be his full-time backup. A report from Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli, however, suggests that Trotz and the Predators may have other plans.

Seravalli's report that Nashville is looking for a backup goalie on the market implies not only that Kevin Lankinen will not be returning to Nashville, but also that Askarov has not yet earned that role. With teams reportedly "curious" how he will react to another year in the AHL, it begs the question of whether he could eventually become a candidate for a change of scenery trade.