Predators’ Juuse Saros out day-to-day with upper-body injury
The Nashville Predators have announced that goaltender Juuse Saros is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
#Preds Roster Update: Goaltender Juuse Saros will not play tonight vs. Seattle and is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Goaltender Matt Murray has been recalled from the @mkeadmirals.
The cause of the injury is not known. He played the entirety of Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets, so it was either an injury he was able to play through during the game, or one sustained after the game.
Saros’ injury comes at a bad time for the Predators, as it causes him to miss Thursday’s game against the Seattle Kraken, a key game in Nashville’s chase for a playoff spot. The Kraken currently hold the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, and the Predators sit two points behind them. While a win for Nashville wouldn’t pass Seattle, as they hold the tiebreaker, the Predators could certainly use the win to increase their playoff chances.
That said, Saros’ play also wouldn’t indicate a better chance of the Predators winning if he was in the lineup. He’s struggled for Nashville this season, with a 24-19-7 record, an .894 save percentage and a -1.26 5v5 goals saved expected in 51 games. Despite his struggles, the Predators still lean heavily on him, as he’s one of two goalies on pace to start more than 60 games this season.
With Saros out of the lineup, Justus Annunen will be the starting goaltender for the Predators. He has a 6-9-2 record, an .890 save percentage and a 1.66 5v5 GSAx in 21 games this season.
The Predators also announced that Matt Murray has been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, to serve as the backup for Annunen. Not to be confused with the two-time Stanley Cup-winning netminder, Murray has four career NHL games under his belt, last playing in the 2023-24 season for the Dallas Stars. He has a 17-17-2 record, a .908 save percentage and three shutouts in 37 games in the AHL this season.