Preds' Saros 'all good' after 'frustrating' injury kept him out of playoffs

Few players had as heartbreaking of an end to the 2021-22 campaign than Nashville Predators star Juuse Saros after a lower-body injury forced him to miss the playoffs, but the netminder recently shared some good news.

"All good," Saros said when asked how he was feeling after an informal skate on Tuesday, according to NHL.com's Emma Lingan. "Excited for the new season, so it's good to be back and see all the guys."

Saros was hurt during a regular-season contest against the Calgary Flames on April 26, the Predators' third-last game of the campaign before the playoffs.

"It was frustrating," Saros said. "We were kind of waiting for those (postseason) games to come, and (I got) injured right before that. Obviously, that was super frustrating."

Saros was a key reason the Predators made the playoffs for the eighth straight season and was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy after putting up stellar numbers in 2021-22. He appeared in a league-leading 67 contests and posted a 38-25-3 record to go along with a .918 save percentage and 2.64 goals against average.

The Finn goaltender's advanced statistics were also top-notch: Saros ranked within the top 10 in goals saved above average (21.43) and goals saved above expected (12.6) at five-on-five, according to Evolving Hockey.

The Colorado Avalanche promptly swept Nashville out of the first round without Saros in the crease, but Connor Ingram put up an admirable .913 save percentage during his first career taste of playoff action in Saros' stead.

David Rittich started Game 1 of the series, but the team pulled him after he let in five goals on 13 shots. Rittich signed with the Winnipeg Jets as a free agent this summer, while the Predators brought in former Chicago Blackhawks goalie Kevin Lankinen on a one-year pact.