Saros ready to 'take the lead' as Predators' No. 1 goalie

Juuse Saros is eager to fill Pekka Rinne's shoes in the Nashville Predators' crease next season.

"I was lucky and grateful for sharing the net with him for four or five years," Saros said, per NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "So, yeah, it was a little bit of a sad moment when he said he's not coming back. Personally, I'm ready to take that next step and be the guy in net, take the lead on the team."

Rinne announced his retirement this offseason after 15 years in Nashville. He's the franchise leader in every major goaltending statistic, and he won the Vezina Trophy in 2018.

Saros, meanwhile, inked a four-year, $20-million contract extension this summer. The 26-year-old is coming off a terrific 2020-21 campaign where he posted a 21-11-1 record with a .927 save percentage and 20.9 goals saved above average.

And after years of backing up Rinne, Saros is confident he won't be fazed by a larger workload.

"Of course, it's a bigger role, but at the same time, it doesn't really change," Saros said.

"I always try to do my best, whatever the role is. So, I think I'll adjust to that. Of course, I played as a No. 1 goalie before, too, in different leagues, but yeah, I'm just ready to get the season going."

Nashville drafted Saros 99th overall in 2013. He's appeared in 155 NHL games.

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