The Nashville Predators are finally whole in net, as today they’ve activated Pekka Rinne from injured reserve and assigned Troy Grosenick back to the minor leagues. Rinne had been out for ten days following a collision with teammate Kevin Fiala. He’ll now return to one of the best goaltending tandems in the league alongside young Juuse Saros.
Rinne, who turns 36 in just a few days, is one of the most interesting names to keep an eye on around the league. As Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic writes (subscription required), negotiations between the Predators and their franchise goaltender continue on a contract extension, though there doesn’t seem to be anything imminent. Rinne has been one of the best goaltenders in the league for more than a decade, ending as a Calder finalist after finally making the jump to start for Nashville at the age of 25. Though there have been lean times throughout his Predators career, the reigning Vezina trophy winner has a .919 save percentage in close to 600 regular season games and was a huge reason why Nashville reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017.
Still, having Saros ready to take over the job creates a dilemma for the Predators. In his limited career, the 23-year old netminder has been an outstanding backup for Rinne, posting a .922 save percentage over 56 games. There’s a school of thought that suggests he may even be better right now than his mentor and partner, and the fact that he’s signed to a three-year deal worth just a total of $4.5MM makes him one of the most attractive assets in the league. Imagine paying a top-tier starting goaltender just $1.5MM per season while in a Stanley Cup contention window.
That contract though is what makes the negotiation with Rinne so interesting. Even if they dial back his work and turn the duo into more of a straight tandem, the Predators could likely afford to pay Rinne a hefty sum to keep him there through the end of his career. Having one of their franchise icons remain on the roster as they try to bring home that elusive chalice is tempting, and may lead to an extension before the season is out. If not, Rinne would have plenty of suitors willing to give him one last multi-year deal to see if he can push them over the top, especially if he continues to play at such a high level now that he’s back from injury.