Juuse Saros' Lack of Playoff Success Saved Nashville Predators Millions on Contract

Juuse Saros is one of the best goalies in the NHL despite a down season in 2023-24, which happens to all goalies. The Nashville Predators recognized what they had and extended their starter for eight more years at $7.74 million AAV, ensuring the team was set in net for a long time.

When it came to the contract Saros and the Predators settled on, it was a win for Nashville and doesn't hurt Saros at all. With both sides happy, there's a reason why the team was able to save millions on the contract. Compared to some of the other elite starters around the league, Saros' playoff success just isn't at the highest level that pushes him over the top...yet.

Saros has appeared in 23 playoff games and started 16. All of the starts are over the Predators' last three trips to the playoffs and when he was a starter, so they carry more weight. Saros' career SV% in the playoffs is .911, but as a starter is only .909.

Now, over the next year or so, a couple of strong comparables to Saros are going to be paid long-term. These goalies include Igor Shesterkin and Jeremy Swayman. While Andrei Vasilevskiy is also a solid comparable as one of the elite goalies of the NHL, he will be included in this conversation as well.

We looked at Saros' career SV% in the playoffs and it's respectable, but the goals allowed are not all on him. The elite of the elite separate themselves when the games are the biggest and they are needed the most, even if their teams can't win as the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins haven't despite the playoff performances by Shesterkin and Swayman.

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The Predators haven't been as strong as those Presidents' Trophy winners when Nashville has made the playoffs and Saros started. He does have really good games and poor games that don't help the cause. In 50% of his games as a starter, he has made a quality start. Shesterkin has a .928 SV% and .750 quality start % (QS%) in the playoffs, Swayman has a .922 SV% and .722 QS%, while Vasilevskiy has a .920 SV% and .627 QS%.

There is a gap between Saros and these three elite goalies and that's why Vasilevskiy makes $9.5 million AAV, Swayman is going to get a large contract before next season, and Shesterkin has one year left before his AAV is going to skyrocket.

The Predators have a very good goalie in Saros and he should have many opportunities over the course of his next contract to prove himself in the playoffs and show that he is on a great deal.

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