For a guy who’s only 5′ 10″, there’s a lot he carries. Juuse Saros, the heir to Pekka Rinne, was groomed for his current role. He sat in the wings, watching his mentor and advisor Rinne for several seasons. He knows how to carry a team to the playoffs, and he knows that their success rests on his otherwordly play.
Saros’s Vezina Trophy is coming sooner than later, and I think this is the season to make it happen. However, with a new coach, new systems, new players…does Saros have enough of a team in front of him? With the right pieces, he’s a Vezina candidate every single game. Last season, it’s been widely published that Saros saved nearly 46 goals above expected. Without Saros, this team is in the dumpster. When Kevin Lankinen gets in net to get “Juice” some rest, he’s also expected to excel.
Andrew Brunette’s fast-paced system ideally results in more goals for this young Nashville team. We’re expecting a lot out of guys like Ryan O’Reilly, Luke Schenn, Denis Gurianov, and Gus Nyquist….I don’t know whether to be hopeful or hopeless, to be honest. Offense is the biggest, most glaring question. Will there be secondary scoring? What about the rookies? Just like last season, this feels like a season where a lot has to go right in order for the Predators to remain competitive and push towards the playoffs. The one constant, though, is Juuse Saros in net.
If Nashville plays like Brunette’s Panthers did a few seasons back, we could see an incredible rush game, lots of time in the offensive zone, and relentless puck battles along the boards. The backbone of that type of game is a strong netminder, and Saros is definitely the man in which we place our trust. With that said, Saros is known to start off slowly – he sometimes is shaky in October and even November. Lankinen can be counted on, yes, but Saros has to be strong as soon as the puck drops next week. Again, a lot has to go right for things to really fall into place for the “New Look Nashville” squad. The foundation of this team is Juuse Saros, alongside star defenseman Roman Josi.
Saros, with the right players in front of him, provides the stability and security for this re-vamped squad. It’s Juuse Saros’s world and we all live in it.