Rumor: Juuse Saros Signs 8 Year / $7.74 AAV Contract

[Soundgarden]

Feels like when all this is over, we end up with a $8.5 mil Saros in net until 2033 who will be just good enough for us to never truly rebuild this team and the loop of getting bounced in the 1st round and drafting 15th will continue.

I get that feeling sometimes too, hopefully it's wrong though.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I get that feeling sometimes too, hopefully it's wrong though.

There is no way Saros is going to get $8.5M now. Unless he goes on a Conn Smythe run or something. (Also no way that happens). If he had been a Vezina finalist again this season, then ok, that's where Hellebuyck is and that would have been possible. But he didn't do that. He has been very mediocre this year, and while we can dare to hope it's just a one-off, it's still going to cost him both term and $$$. Nobody would give him $8.5M. Not us, not anybody who trades for him, it's just off the table now.

He'll sign for 5-6 years at 6-$7.5M... and he can be glad to get that. It's still a heckuvalot of money, and still in the upper echelon of goaltending salaries league wide.

 

[Soundgarden]

There is no way Saros is going to get $8.5M now. Unless he goes on a Conn Smythe run or something. (Also no way that happens). If he had been a Vezina finalist again this season, then ok, that's where Hellebuyck is and that would have been possible. But he didn't do that. He has been very mediocre this year, and while we can dare to hope it's just a one-off, it's still going to cost him both term and $$$. Nobody would give him $8.5M. Not us, not anybody who trades for him, it's just off the table now.

He'll sign for 5-6 years at 6-$7.5M... and he can be glad to get that. It's still a heckuvalot of money, and still in the upper echelon of goaltending salaries league wide.

I was thinking more along the lines of being worried that he'll sign long term and we'd float in the middle of the pack. I guess in that case we'd trade Askarov for something, but I'd prefer to keep him.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I was thinking more along the lines of being worried that he'll sign long term and we'd float in the middle of the pack. I guess in that case we'd trade Askarov for something, but I'd prefer to keep him.

I'm sure there is no organizational plan to float eternally in the middle of the pack. Having good goaltending... for the forseeable future, with whichever combination of Saros and Askarov works best... is just one of the ingredients we need to rise to the top. Trotz will in parallel be continuing to work on adding the other ingredients. It's good for him that he has security at the goaltending situation, so that he can focus all of his energy and resources instead on other areas.

 

[Predsanddead24]

For what it's worth here are the recent goalie contracts of 5+ years:

Everyone but Demko and Hellebuyck's contract signed in 2018 has some sort of NTC. I agree that his size and the somewhat down year may hold him back from reaching a Hellebuyck/Sorokin/Vasilevsky level deal, but I have a hard time time seeing him getting a deal that is only marginally better (or worse if we don't give him a NTC) than the Campbell, Grubauer, and Jarry types have gotten.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

For what it's worth here are the recent goalie contracts of 5+ years:
View attachment 827764

Everyone but Demko and Hellebuyck's contract signed in 2018 has some sort of NTC. I agree that his size and the somewhat down year may hold him back from reaching a Hellebuyck/Sorokin/Vasilevsky level deal, but I have a hard time time seeing him getting a deal that is only marginally better (or worse if we don't give him a NTC) than the Campbell, Grubauer, and Jarry types have gotten.

I am counting only 5 contracts bigger than what I’m hoping/expecting Saros to get. That’s still pretty elite company.

And several of the lesser ones are UFAs changing teams on the open market which also involves a built-in boost that Saros won’t get by extending here for early security.

This is all perfectly in line with my expectations for Saros staying here on a comfortable contract for us, in other words.

 

[Predsanddead24]

I am counting only 5 contracts bigger than what I’m hoping/expecting Saros to get. That’s still pretty elite company.

And several of the lesser ones are UFAs changing teams on the open market which also involves a built-in boost that Saros won’t get by extending here for early security.

This is all perfectly in line with my expectations for Saros staying here on a comfortable contract for us, in other words.

Yes but the two biggest ones (Sorokin and Hellebuyck) were both a year out from hitting UFA status just like Saros. There is not perfect comparable to Saros but I still think his is far closer to the Sorokin/Hellebuyck tier than the Jarry/Campbell/Grubauer tier. Like I've said I wish I shared your optimism and time will tell, but I really have a hard time seeing us getting him signed on the lower end of his comparables particularly if the deal we're offering doesn't include some sort of NTC.

 

[Armourboy]

Saros is not going to take less than 7 years, you can bank on that, someone out there will give it to him. He's also going to want some form of NTC, I think all of this trade talk has pretty much insured that.

I still think he ends up traded in the offseason, especially if Askarov has a really good playoffs. They will look to either keep Lankinen or find someone else to provide him a short term buffer so he can work his way in.

Even with that I don't think its the contract details that will insure that, its that Saros is young enough that he is not going to want to be competing with a younger guy at a minimum of 3 years down the road and get stuck playing back up for 3-4 years. Saros is not in the same place Rinne was when Saros came in.

 

[Kat Predator]

I'm sure there is no organizational plan to float eternally in the middle of the pack. Having good goaltending... for the forseeable future, with whichever combination of Saros and Askarov works best... is just one of the ingredients we need to rise to the top. Trotz will in parallel be continuing to work on adding the other ingredients. It's good for him that he has security at the goaltending situation, so that he can focus all of his energy and resources instead on other areas.

It's hard to build a perennial contender when the blueprint is to run the team like a truck stop. Everybody, irrespective of skill and character, is just grabbing a warmed over meal, maybe a shower, and a nap before bolting out the door to somewhere they'd rather be.

 

[Scoresberg]

What a f***ing chokejob from the Canes because of Kochetkov who was like an uncontrollable grease fire in that 3rd period.

Wonder if they re-visit the goaltender trade discussions after that gong show...

 

[Scoresberg]

Friedman reporting that Markstrom is Devils' guy. Whether now or in the off-season.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Friedman reporting that Markstrom is Devils' guy. Whether now or in the off-season.

Good! I don't see any point in it being "now", though... Calgary is closer to a playoff spot than New Jersey is. The Devils waited too long.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Friedman reporting that Markstrom is Devils' guy. Whether now or in the off-season.

The 34 y/o is definitely the guy they should be planning on to stabilize the goaltending for years to come.

 

[herzausstein]

Friedman reporting that Markstrom is Devils' guy. Whether now or in the off-season.

Thats a really stupid choice imho for the devils but that tracks for them.

 

[Armourboy]

Could have had a 28 year old you could keep for 7-8 years but nah let's get the 34 year old so we can have the same problem in 2 years.

 

[Scoresberg]

Could have had a 28 year old you could keep for 7-8 years but nah let's get the 34 year old so we can have the same problem in 2 years.

Gotta think Trotz f***ed them off with his insane asks.

 

[Top 6 Spaling]

I'm not buying it until I see an official trade. Easily could have been leaked by Calgary's camp to incentivize Carolina to step up their offer or something like that.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

I'll say that my perspective is the deadline for trading one of Saros or Askarov is not until they both prove themselves as competent starters. You could argue that if you wanted to trade one now the better option is to trade Askarov as he is still unproven and has the chance to not be the player Saros has already become. If both are held and it's obvious Askarov is going to be a high end starter then the clock starts on trading one before we lose Askarovs rights...so I am not concerned and at this point just really happy that Saros has bounced back from his early play.

 

[Armourboy]

Gotta think Trotz f***ed them off with his insane asks.

Doesn't change the fact they are about to blow assets on something they will be looking to fix again in 2 years.

 

[Scoresberg]

I'm just hoping the organization knows where it's truly headed with the goalie situation.

If you don't move Saros during the summer, then you are looking to re-sign him to a long contract which will essentially be immovable and block Askarov for becoming a true starter in Nashville.

If you're going to do it, just know what the repercussions of that decision are.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

If you don't move Saros during the summer, then you are looking to re-sign him to a long contract which will essentially be immovable and block Askarov for becoming a true starter in Nashville.

None of those things are necessarily true. A nice contract for Saros won't be immovable. His contract won't block Askarov if Askarov flat out plays better. You are worrying for no sensible reasons.

 

[Softball99]

Doesn't change the fact they are about to blow assets on something they will be looking to fix again in 2 years.

And we get a haul from them when know Askarov is for real No more NTC/NMCs

 

[herzausstein]

Ruff gets the ax in New Jersey due to bad goaltending

 

[glenngineer]

None of those things are necessarily true. A nice contract for Saros won't be immovable. His contract won't block Askarov if Askarov flat out plays better. You are worrying for no sensible reasons.

If his career tanks he'd be immovable. I think that's something to worry about.

I'd also like to ask, is his recent surge him getting himself back on track or has the team in front of him finally supporting him and he's able to make the saves he's supposed to or is it a bit of both?

You never know with goalies. Saros and Askarov could both fail or both could succeed mightily. You just never know.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

If his career tanks he'd be immovable. I think that's something to worry about.

I'd also like to ask, is his recent surge him getting himself back on track or has the team in front of him finally supporting him and he's able to make the saves he's supposed to or is it a bit of both?

You never know with goalies. Saros and Askarov could both fail or both could succeed mightily. You just never know.

It's both for sure but I personally think him getting his shit together is the most important factor. Had Saros played against Colorado Saturday like he did earlier this season the Preds would have lost. After that first "he's too short" he really locked it down but earlier this season he likely would have given up a goal on the next shot.