Saros Talks Injury, Reflects on Preds Season Following Vezina Nomination

Juuse Saros isn't a doctor, but when he felt a "pop" during the third period of the final Predators home game of the regular season a couple weeks back, he figured the prognosis wouldn't be great.
Nashville's goaltender confirmed Tuesday he did indeed suffer an ankle injury on April 26, an ailment that kept him out of the final two contests of the season - and eventually all four games the Preds played against Colorado in the first round of the playoffs.
Speaking with the media as Predators players gathered for the final time before going their separate ways to start the offseason, Saros went into detail of the injury that seemingly occurred on a play that happens countless times throughout the course of a normal game as his season came to an abrupt end.

"We were on the [penalty kill], and I [slid into the] back post really hard," Saros explained. "And at the same time, I was kind of trying to seal the short side, and I kind of fell on top of my leg awkwardly. I felt it pop right away, and then [I played] two more minutes and made a couple more saves, but every time I went up and down, it just felt really bad. So, that's when I kind of knew it was going to be a while."
That timeline is still active - Saros says his ankle hasn't fully healed yet - but he has been skating and is hopeful to be back to normal in a few weeks. The netminder also added doctors have told him there shouldn't be any issues in recovering and reaggravating in the future, and Saros plans to be able to enjoy a normal summer of training as a result.
While the news for recovery is encouraging, the disappointment of how the best season of Saros's career concluded is still present, especially since he wasn't able to contribute to the playoffs after sometimes single handedly winning games for the Preds over the past six months.
"It was frustrating, for sure, especially since I've been pretty lucky not having [serious] injuries in my career," Saros said. "So, the timing of it was kind of frustrating. I guess there's never a good time to have an injury, but it happens. It's part of [being an athlete]."

There was also some good news regarding Saros on Tuesday as he was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL's top goaltender.
Named an NHL All-Star for the first time in his career, Saros finished third in the NHL in wins with 38, a career high and the fourth-most in a season in Predators history. The 27-year-old Finn also led NHL goaltenders in minutes played (3,931:23) and starts (67); both were the fourth-most in a season in team history.
Saros recorded 38 of Nashville's 45 wins, the highest percentage (84.4%) among all NHL goaltenders.
"It's pretty cool," Saros said of being nominated for the Vezina. "I didn't really expect that, and it was a surprise for me, kind of surreal. Growing up, like watching those guys who got nominated and then being able to be in with those names, it's cool for sure."
Saros started 67 games for the Predators in his first true season as Nashville's top goaltender with his protégé, Pekka Rinne, having retired last summer. The workload was also something Saros appreciated, saying Tuesday fatigue was never an issue down the stretch.
"I felt really good," Saros said. "Obviously, it was a new challenge for me, but I really enjoyed it. My body felt good, and my mind felt fresh, so I didn't see it as an issue. I really liked playing that many games… Some of those injuries just happen, sometimes it doesn't happen, but it doesn't matter if you play one game or 70 games… But I just enjoyed it a lot. We talked with the coaches - like, they asked how I feel, and if I felt tired, I would have told them - but I felt good and I enjoyed the playing time."
Saros unequivocally proved he's capable of being a No. 1 goaltender at the NHL level, and while things came to an end quicker than he or any of his teammates would have preferred, he'll still look back at the 2021-22 campaign with fond memories - especially the time spent with his peers.
"Every day with this group, it was really special," Saros said. "From day one of training camp, it kind of felt like one of those teams that everybody could be themselves, and everybody wanted to play for each other. And it's a big thing… I feel like even though the media or anyone didn't really think we were that good of a team on paper, but when a team comes together, I think we really showed that it goes a long way. So, I'm just having a lot of fun with this team, and it was really special. I know a lot of other guys said that too, over the year, and we're a really close-knit group."