Saros' brief starting stint proves Preds are ready for post-Rinne era

The Nashville Predators got a glimpse of their goaltending future over the past two weeks, and it was awfully bright.

Pekka Rinne has been the face of the Predators for over a decade. He's their anchor between the pipes and, as P.K. Subban put it following last year's playoff exit, "the backbone of this team." But the remarkably durable Rinne missed about two weeks due to injury before returning to action Thursday night against Tampa Bay.

His short absence opened the door for 23-year-old Juuse Saros - Rinne's eventual successor - to serve as Nashville's No. 1 netminder, and the results were positive. Saros went 4-2-0 with a .922 save percentage, a 2.49 goals-against average, and one shutout.

That solid play wasn't a fluke, as Saros owns a .922 save percentage and a 2.43 goals-against average in 56 career games as a backup.

Interestingly, the young Finn's appearance doesn't exactly scream franchise goaltender, as it's rare to see a goalie under 6-foot-3 in today's NHL. Rinne, for example, is 6-foot-5 while Saros checks in at just 5-foot-11, which likely contributed to him slipping to the fourth round of the 2013 draft. Yet, despite his small stature, the latter has enjoyed success at every level, getting by with reflexes, athleticism, competitiveness, mental toughness, and a high hockey IQ.

Given so few late-round picks pan out, drafting Saros is already a win for the Predators, but the selection could prove even more important next season and beyond.

Potential cap issues

Rinne, who turns 36 on Saturday, will be an unrestricted free agent following the season, and while the Predators would surely like to have the reigning Vezina Trophy winner back, the salary cap may get in the way.

Nashville's projected cap hit for next season is slightly above $64 million, according to Cap Friendly. Under the current $79.5-million cap, that gives the team just over $15 million in projected space, making it highly unlikely the front office will be able to meet Rinne's demands, especially considering he's already one of the league's highest-paid goalies:

* As of Saturday

In addition to Rinne, the Preds have six impending free agents, including RFAs Kevin Fiala and Ryan Hartman - two players that general manager David Poile likely views as part of his long-term core. But perhaps more importantly, Roman Josi's contract expires after the 2019-20 season, and he could realistically demand Drew Doughty money (eight years, $88 million) as an unrestricted free agent heading into his age-30 season.

Simply put, it's improbable that Nashville will re-sign Rinne, unless he's willing to take a significant hometown discount. The team plays in one of the league's smaller markets and is surely aware of the risks that would come with signing an aging goalie to a big-money contract, even if it's short term. And with plenty of goaltender-needy teams out there, there will likely be more than one general manager who's willing to pony up for Rinne.

Meanwhile, Saros' contract doesn't expire until after the 2020-21 season, and having a starting goaltender who makes just $1.5 million would give Poile plenty of flexibility to retain key players and use the remaining money to improve the rest of his roster.

The Predators are arguably the NHL's deepest team and they're in win-now mode with Rinne in goal - as they should be. But while the sample size of Saros' starting stint is admittedly small, all signs point to him being ready to succeed as the No. 1 after being groomed for years behind one of the best in the business.

We'll only know for sure once Saros is actually handed the crease, but it seems the Predators have the goalie they need to remain a legitimate Stanley Cup contender once the sun sets on Rinne's time in the Music City.