Goalie paydays, development camp, snarky billboards, oh my!

Nashville Predators News and Notes

Predators, Saros Agree to Four-Year Extension | On the Forecheck
Given some of the wild contracts handed out to goaltenders this offseason, this really couldn’t have worked out any better for both Saros and the Preds. For Saros, he gets a well-deserved payday and a chance to continue to grow and develop with an extra layer of job security. For the Preds — and for the fans saying “well, what about Askarov? — the four year term is a perfect number to maintain some long-term flexibility. The deal ends in the same window Askarov should make his first handful of appearances in Nashville.

To be clear, that DOESN’T mean Saros is simply keeping the seat warm for Askarov. This just gives Nashville a chance to see where the goaltending situation stands in four years. There’s no sure-fire outcome to this. Saros could wind up being a multi-time Vezina winner, Askarov could struggle, or who knows, another goaltender could rise up and become a force with the Preds (remember, they used a first round pick on Chet Pickard six months before Pekka Rinne would take over the starting job).

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In other Preds news, development camp is now underway! Our own Ann K. will be OTF’s “boots on the ground” at Centennial Sportsplex and Ford Ice. Keep an eye out for an article at the end of camp, but in the meantime, she’s giving us the daily play-by-play on Twitter, including some highlights from Day 1.

Be sure to give Ann a follow on Twitter: @AnnK_MamaOnIce . She’ll have updates and videos throughout the rest of the week!

Other Hockey Happenings

Fiala signs one-year, $5.1 million contract with Wild, avoids hearing | NHL.com
A well-deserved payday from Smashville’s second-favorite handsome Swiss man.

Wild feeling ‘no rush’ with Kaprizov contract negotiations, GM says | NHL.com
We’ve seen the “interested in returning to Europe” chatter from plenty of restricted free agents before, and 99% of the time it’s nothing more than a negotiation tactic. It may not be a pain-free process, but I’d expect Kaprizov back with the Wild by the time camp rolls around.

Cam Atkinson is pulling a Bryce Harper and it’s wonderful | Broad Street Hockey
If you want to create a vision of success in Philadelphia, maybe don’t use Bryce Harper as an example.

2021 Worlds: Team USA preview | The Ice Garden
The Women’s World hockey championships are back after a year hiatus (thanks Covid), and — no surprise — USA should be the favorites again.

Plenty of international star power will be on display at women’s worlds | TSN.ca
If you’re not super familiar with the current stars of women’s hockey, there’s a good primer here.

Rangers fans purchase billboard urging Sabres to trade Jack Eichel | buffalonews.com
The ad reads: “Aren’t trade requests a pain in the neck? #FreeJack.”

Heavens to Betsy…

The three most stylish players in the NHL | Bardown
The fact Henrik Lundqvist is not mentioned here is personally offensive to me.

Five Hockey Books to Get You Through the Summer | The Hockey News on Sports Illustrated
“The Game” is not only one of the best sports books ever written, its message and relevancy is INCREDIBLY relevant today amidst the continuing conversation of mental health in sports. Give it a read.

Today’s Soundtrack To Get You HYPED

For you European football aficionados out there, the Premier League is back! And in honor of my beloved Leicester City starting out with a 1-0 win, here’s a little Fabulous Foxes’ goal song action for you.