Player Profile: Juuse Saros

On April 19, 1995, Juuse Saros was born in Forssa, Finland. He is currently one of the elite goaltenders in the National Hockey League and has played his entire career with the Nashville Predators organization.

See all of Juuse Saros’ Career Statistics Here!

When Saros started playing hockey at nine years old, he played as a defenseman but moved to goaltending at age 13. Saros played his first few seasons with Hämeenlinnan Pallokerho (HPK) of the SM-Liiga, the top league in Finland. He worked his way up in the junior teams, maintaining strong numbers and earning his way onto the Jr. A SM-Liiga All-Star Team at the end of the 2012-13 season, where he then earned the best player in the league as well as best goaltender. The same year, he was selected to represent Finland at the IIHF U18 World Championships, where he earned the tournament’s Best Goaltender award and a bronze medal.

He kept the momentum that summer when he entered the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and was selected 99th overall by the Nashville Predators. He returned to HPK for the 2013-14 season as a full-time member of the top professional squad. In his 44 games, he maintained a 1.76 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage. At the end of the season, he competed for Finland in the IIHF World Juniors, where he helped the team to a gold medal and was voted on the tournament’s All-Star Team. That June, he began his mandatory military service for Finland, then returned to HPK for the following season. He finished the 2014-15 season playing 47 games, earning a 2.14 goals against average and a .929 save percentage as well as six shutouts. After the season ended, Saros signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Predators.

Saros was assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) to start the 2015-16 season. After an impressive start to the season, he was called up for one game where he made his NHL debut against the Buffalo Sabres on November 28, 2015. He returned to the AHL where he finished the season playing 38 games, earning an eight-game win streak, a 2.24 goals against average, a .920 save percentage, and four shutouts. He was named to the AHL All-Rookie team and helped Finland win a silver medal at the IIHF World Championships. The following two seasons, Saros split his efforts between the two teams, playing in 24 games for the Admirals and 47 games for the Predators, where he was also able to gain experience playing in big playoff games.

Saros started the 2018-19 season by signing a three-year, $4.5 million contract extension. He was slated to be Pekka Rinne’s backup throughout the season, but an early season injury allowed Saros to take over as the main starting goaltender until Rinne could return. The next few seasons began the transition for Saros from backup, to a half-and-half split to eventually taking over as the starting goaltender. His numbers stayed consistent throughout the three seasons, including the two limited seasons due to the pandemic. Saros played in 107 games and had a 2.53 goals against average, a .918 save percentage, and 10 shutouts.

In July 2021, Rinne announced his retirement and Saros secured his second extension with the Predators. He signed a four-year, $20 million contract, solidifying his place as the Predators starting goaltender. In the first year of his contract, Saros played an impressive 67 games, finishing with a 2.64 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. He also finished third in votes for the Vezina Trophy for best goaltender in the league. Although the Predators missed the playoffs in the following season, Saros’ number remained steady and took that momentum into the 2023-24 season where his numbers continued to reflect his greatness. On December 21, 2023, Saros’ victory against the Philadelphia Flyers bumped him to second most wins in Predators history at 162 wins. He now chases his former mentor and tandem partner, Rinne for most wins (369).

Rumors had Saros on the trade block for the past two seasons, and with young Yaroslav Askarov on the rise in Milwaukee, the future was full of uncertainty for Saros’ time in Nashville. But GM Barry Trotz made a handful of promising signings on July 1, 2024, including a massive contract extension for Saros, where he signed an eight-year, $61.92 million contract that expires in 2033.

Outside of the rink, Saros got married in the summer of 2023. He also does his “Saros Saves Pucks and Puppies” campaign where he along with the Predators Foundation raises funds for a local nonprofit, Wags and Walks Nashville. He continues to donate $5 for every save he makes throughout the season.

Catch Saros this upcoming season as well as many more as the starting netminder for the Nashville Predators.