They Said It: Juuse Saros, In His Teammates' Words

Juuse Saros is almost as good at deflecting praise and attention as he is at deflecting pucks - and that's saying something.
The 27-year-old goaltender will be representing the Predators at the NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 4 in Sunrise, Fla. He is the third goaltender in Predators history to represent the club at an NHL All-Star Game alongside Pekka Rinne (2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019) and Tomas Vokoun (2004).

As eager as Saros is to divert the credit for his success this season toward his teammates, they are even more eager to heap well-deserved praise on their goaltender.
"He's naturally really talented and athletic, and I think goaltending is really natural for him," said fellow Finnish netminder Kevin Lankinen. "He loves the game. He loves to be out there and stop pucks. He's an extremely hardworking guy, a humble guy, always working on his craft and trying to get better. It's never about him. It's always about the team and winning and whatever it takes to win."

Saros' athletic ability and goaltending prowess are what earned him his second career All-Star nod, but the intangible components of his game are even more indicative of his star quality as an NHL goaltender.
"You can see it when we play," defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. "He's the one that battles the hardest for us. He's obviously a really talented goaltender, but I think the thing that stands out for me is his battle level. I think he had a really good mentor in Pekka (Rinne), because he was the same way; he was never out of a play and always trying to fight back. Whether it's an open net or not, they would always give their all to stop the puck, and that along with the talent level that he has obviously makes him a great goaltender. I think he's going to be an All-Star for a long time in this league."
Ekholm isn't the only one who sees shades of Rinne in the way Saros approaches the game, both mentally and physically. After all, the apple doesn't fall far from the elite Finnish goaltending tree.
"Obviously goalies aren't necessarily competing in battles and things like that, but just competing for the puck and competing in practice and games," forward Filip Forsberg said. "We see it every day in how he takes care of himself, and we were fortunate enough to see it from Pekka as well. And I can see all those qualities in Juice - the compete, the professionalism in everything he does off the ice all the way up to the way he prepares for the games, to the way he plays on the ice, too. It's definitely inspiring to be a part of watching him, and obviously he's been bailing us out all season."

In 2021-22 - his first season as a full-time NHL starter - Saros was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, awarded "to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at this position" as voted by the general managers of all NHL clubs. He 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). He recorded 38 of Nashville's 45 wins, the highest percentage (84.4%) among all NHL goaltenders in 2021-22.
"He leads by example for sure," Ekholm said. "He shows up every night, and he's not the most vocal guy… but I will say, he does speak up at times. And when he does, the guys really listen. Because usually when a guy that works that hard, that 's your best player - when he does speak up, you listen. I think he has a really powerful role on this team, and obviously he's one of our best, if not the best player on our team."
At 5-foot-11, the understated and undersized Saros may not be the loudest voice in the Predators locker room; but on the rare occasions that he does speak up, his teammates pay close attention.
"He's not necessarily the loudest guy in general, but he's definitely stepped up whenever we've needed him to," Forsberg echoed. "He has that quiet leadership presence, and it's obviously a more of a lead-by-example role. But he's been louder this year and more vocal, and obviously everybody respects him. He's a pretty smart player, so I try to listen to him whenever he talks."
As Saros grows into a leadership role with the Predators, he continues to earn the respect of his teammates - and he's coming out of his shell in the process.
"He's funny," Lankinen said. "He's goofy sometimes. He loves his dogs. He loves his tattoos… He's got some weird dreams that he always likes to talk about, and guys get a good kick out of it. That's not my story to tell, but we always get a good laugh out of those."

Perhaps - as Ekholm suggests - Saros will indeed become a perennial NHL All-Star. In the meantime, is there anything else we should know about the man they call "Juice?"
"There's plenty," Forsberg said with a coy smile. "But that's going to be for him to disclose."