Seravalli: Devils showed real interest in Saros last few weeks but Preds will keep him as long as they are in playoff position

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

I’ll never understand Gm’s

They are willing to hurt their future outlook quite a bit just to peak at WC, be one and done

It would be foolish to give Askarov the number 1 job now. He doesn't need that pressure to immediately perform. All the remaining games matter for Nashville. They have to keep on winning to maintain their playoff spot.

I think the best approach is to play Saros for rest of the season including playoffs. Then look to trade him in offseason. Askarov then has time from start of next season to grow into the number 1 role.

 

[Chips]

I’ll still believe Trotz, as coach, was more responsible for the isles than Lou


And it seems like he’s going to be the new Lou, will over skill and forever chasing a barely open window

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

I agree but Luke Hughes gets a raise in 2025-26. Nemec in 2026-27. Mercer unclear how good he really is. Maple Leafs basically had a three year window on Matthews' ELC before things got tight and it wasn't clear how the team even improved beyond then.

They don't have forever and throwing a year away (seems likely at this point) is not good. Also fixing goaltending is both easy (you can find a body) and hard (how good is that body really?).

I think I posted this the other day. Outlier years aren’t uncommon. Washington missed the playoffs in 2014 and then rebounded to have a really high peak, including a cup win over the next half decade. Same thing with Tampa in 2017. Vegas missed the playoffs in 2022. I’m sure those fans were lamenting losing an ELC/2nd contract/prime year of xyz too.

Between the acquisition cost and projected extension, I really dislike Saros for New Jersey. Forget the ghost of #30. Forget #31 in blue. There are other ways to win in net in this era.

 

[triggrman]

I’ll never understand Gm’s

They are willing to hurt their future outlook quite a bit just to peak at WC, be one and done

Saros will still have value in the off season

 

[Smitty426]

Saros will still have value in the off season

Ullmark to Jersey

 

[Armourboy]

Ullmark to Jersey

There is more than just Jersey that needs a goalie.

 

[Mr Bojanglez]

Devils really should've just taken the risk and drafted Askarov with the #7 instead of Holtz.

Hindsight and all that. Though many of us were thinking about it. Blackwood just had back to back decent seasons and was young. So I don't blame them looking for a goal scorer

 

[Smitty426]

There is more than just Jersey that needs a goalie.

No doubt, just putting it out there

 

[GeauxPreds1]

This is a terrible take from trotz and I knew when I looked at our schedule that it would happen though. Before we started this 6 game winning streak we were on the outside looking in on the playoffs. Granted we were close but still on the outside. Then in 6 games we played the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, the 12th worse team in the league base on points. Of course you’re gonna have a good chance to pick up points from those teams. Yea we beat Vegas but average teams like us can beat good teams sometimes, heck even bad teams can do it. Here’s the simple truth, there is no way this team that Nashville is skating can beat a team like Vancouver, Vegas, Dallas or Colorado in a 7 game series. So besides revenue what’s the point? When you have a prospect like askarov in the pipeline and an asset like saros that you can sell and get players that could improve your chances on becoming a Stanley cup contender in the future you make that move 100 times out of 100. I think moving him now instead of the offseason is the right move because the buying team gets 2 playoffs with him. Making the playoffs should not be the goal and unfortunately that’s what it is here in Nashville. We are a warm up series for a true contender but hardly ever a true contender

 

[Shark Finn]

In addition to what ZBC said... technically its still just a 2nd round pick. Devils would need to go to the ECF for it to become a first. Not looking likely

They still can't trade their first round pick as is. I'm thinking Trotz (or any else GM, for that matter) doesn't like the idea that the pick actually downgrades if the Devils go deep in the playoffs.

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

I think I posted this the other day. Outlier years aren’t uncommon. Washington missed the playoffs in 2014 and then rebounded to have a really high peak, including a cup win over the next half decade. Same thing with Tampa in 2017. Vegas missed the playoffs in 2022. I’m sure those fans were lamenting losing an ELC/2nd contract/prime year of xyz too.

Between the acquisition cost and projected extension, I really dislike Saros for New Jersey. Forget the ghost of #30. Forget #31 in blue. There are other ways to win in net in this era.

Yes patience like your team it looks like that goalie you have is taking the crease...His play has been really good watched a few games can see why your team might have backed out of any Saros deal...

 

[sxvnert]

Tortz would rather start next season with both goalies unless his socks are blown off.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

This is a terrible take from trotz and I knew when I looked at our schedule that it would happen though. Before we started this 6 game winning streak we were on the outside looking in on the playoffs. Granted we were close but still on the outside. Then in 6 games we played the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, the 12th worse team in the league base on points. Of course you’re gonna have a good chance to pick up points from those teams. Yea we beat Vegas but average teams like us can beat good teams sometimes, heck even bad teams can do it. Here’s the simple truth, there is no way this team that Nashville is skating can beat a team like Vancouver, Vegas, Dallas or Colorado in a 7 game series. So besides revenue what’s the point? When you have a prospect like askarov in the pipeline and an asset like saros that you can sell and get players that could improve your chances on becoming a Stanley cup contender in the future you make that move 100 times out of 100. I think moving him now instead of the offseason is the right move because the buying team gets 2 playoffs with him. Making the playoffs should not be the goal and unfortunately that’s what it is here in Nashville. We are a warm up series for a true contender but hardly ever a true contender

Re: the bolded. You can't make a deal if you aren't getting offers that are worth it. Edmonton's goaltending situation has stabilized enough they aren't in the mix at this point, LA is content to ride out Talbot/Rittich even though it may cost them a playoff spot, and the Devils are apparently content to not compete for a playoff spot. No idea what Toronto's plan is and a team like Ottawa doesn't care about 2 playoff runs with Saros, since they aren't making it anyway.

You would rather Trotz force a deal now and get subpar value back, due to lack of prospective buyers, than just ride it out the rest of the way and see what the summer market holds?

 

[McJedi]

2024 1st Top 4 protected + Holtz?

 

[TBF1972]

Someone's got to post that picture of the guy with his girlfriend, and checking out the other chick.

That guy is the Devil's GM and the chick is Markstrom/Saros

nah

the guy is you and the chick is the youthful devil's roster

 

[harrisb]

What do Preds actually need is the better question. Saros will cost that plus more likely if they are going to thrust Askarov into a high pressure situation

 

[Winged Wheel Willy]

Trotz once again doing the right thing. He has a young team that hung around all season and is now on a heater. He won't buy, but the reward is that he's holding on to Saros to give the team a shot. Valueble playoff experience looms albeit prob just one round. Can't just waive the white flag and give away a franchise goalie for a subpar return.Terrible message to the team. And I am sure that there will be more suitors in the offseason. So he can revisit it.

Plus, if we did not know it before, then Buffalo has taught us this season that even young goalie phenoms are inconsistent and need time. Trotz should not be in a rush.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Devils fan base will crucify Fitz if he stands pat and they miss the playoffs.

No we won't, that's just the outside noise thinking NJD fans will. The time for a legit move has arguably passed, Fitz would've gotten Jake Allen in November or December if he thought this team was just goaltending away. And if he thought the goaltending was bad then the retention thing wouldn't have been a big deal just recently for Markstrom but that still got in the way + Daws was playing well.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Trotz once again doing the right thing. He has a young team that hung around all season and is now on a heater. He won't buy, but the reward is that he's holding on to Saros to give the team a shot. Valueble playoff experience looms albeit prob just one round. Can't just waive the white flag and give away a franchise goalie for a subpar return.Terrible message to the team. And I am sure that there will be more suitors in the offseason. So he can revisit it.

Meh, I'm not so sure about this. There's gonna be a ton of goalies on the block where teams might just tell Nashville lower their demands or they'll go elsewhere. Ullmark, Markstrom, Elvis (think he's actually what people think of John Gibson playing on a bad team) come to mind and none of them will cost a team an extension in the process.

 

[Winged Wheel Willy]

But the goalies you are talking about are on the block right now anyway, except Ullmark. Elvis I don't want any part of and Saros fits NJ better cuz he's the youngest. Plus, I think several contenders have to upgrade their goalie situation. COL and LAK come to mind. There's hardly enough quality starters to saturate all the contenders.

 

[Armourboy]

Trotz once again doing the right thing. He has a young team that hung around all season and is now on a heater. He won't buy, but the reward is that he's holding on to Saros to give the team a shot. Valueble playoff experience looms albeit prob just one round. Can't just waive the white flag and give away a franchise goalie for a subpar return.Terrible message to the team. And I am sure that there will be more suitors in the offseason. So he can revisit it.

Plus, if we did not know it before, then Buffalo has taught us this season that even young goalie phenoms are inconsistent and need time. Trotz should not be in a rush.

We are not a young team, most of our youth has been shipped back to Milwaukee. Evangelista is the only one unless you consider Novak young at 26.

We were mid pack by average age at the start of the season. I think the current roster is one of the 5 oldest now.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I doubt Trotz will trade Saros in the off-season either. The market may or may not be a little bit better, hard to say. But it’s still not going to be good enough to get the Preds the kind of top line talent they need most.

So he’ll probably just be extending Saros and then we’ll have multiple years worth of these threads speculating about both Preds goalies. What fun!

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Trotz once again doing the right thing. He has a young team that hung around all season and is now on a heater. He won't buy, but the reward is that he's holding on to Saros to give the team a shot. Valueble playoff experience looms albeit prob just one round. Can't just waive the white flag and give away a franchise goalie for a subpar return.Terrible message to the team. And I am sure that there will be more suitors in the offseason. So he can revisit it.

Plus, if we did not know it before, then Buffalo has taught us this season that even young goalie phenoms are inconsistent and need time. Trotz should not be in a rush.

I think this is a key factor that a lot of Preds fans are overlooking atm. Folks seem to be getting giddy about Askarov's numbers in the AHL, but are forgetting just how hard the step to the NHL is. The guys like Levi and Wolf who have been at or even above Askarov's level haven't so far been able to make a statement right away in the NHL. Askarov has a lot of confidence and swagger to him, so I'm not sure you could wreck him easily. But throwing a young goalie to the wolves as an NHL starter next season wouldn't be a smart move for his development either. The Preds should be thinking 2-3-4 years down the road for Askarov's arrival as a starting goalie in the NHL. In which case, extending Saros is the right move, as long as the contract terms aren't too onerous. Saros is 28. There's still a market for starting goalies when they are 31-32 and have term (e.g. Markstrom). As long as they're still playing well, of course. There's plenty of time to let Askarov mature and see how things shake out in a few years.

And too, Askarov is on a really good AHL team in Milwaukee right now with a strong defense group that helps bolster his stats. Sure, he makes some incredible flashy saves for the highlight reels, but overall the strength of that team is also contributing to how shiny his numbers look. As a point of reference, 34-year old journeyman Troy Grosenick, who was almost out of the league last year, is 15-3-0 with 2.42/.917 on that team. No disrespect to Grosenick, who has played well, but the team is definitely helping make the goalies look extra good from a stats-watching perspective also.

 

[HBK27]

Devils really should've just taken the risk and drafted Askarov with the #7 instead of Holtz.

In hindsight, yeah they should've...though at the time they also had a 24-year old MacKenzie Blackwood who was a former 2nd round pick that had posted a .916 SV% through 70 games on some poor teams (the other Devils goaltenders from 2018-2020 had a combined .893 SV%), so it was not unreasonable to believe that they might've already been set in goal. Blackwood's stats/performance nosedived immediately after that 2020 draft.

 

[Armourboy]

I doubt Trotz will trade Saros in the off-season either. The market may or may not be a little bit better, hard to say. But it’s still not going to be good enough to get the Preds the kind of top line talent they need most.

So he’ll probably just be extending Saros and then we’ll have multiple years worth of these threads speculating about both Preds goalies. What fun!

I don't know when he gets moved but I think he gets moved. I think Trotz will want him to sign for 3-4 years and I think Saros will refuse to do that. I don't think he will give him 7-8 years. Now if he gets us in the playoffs and steals a series or something that probably all changes.

Trotz won't bring Askarov up and just throw him to the wolves though. He's never been one to do that unless injuries gave him no choice.