Veteran Goaltender Rinne Still Finding Ways to Remain Elite

Pekka Rinne is well aware he has a birthday coming up in November.
He's not an old man by any means, but he's not a rookie either. When answering questions on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena as Predators Training Camp got underway, the soon-to-be 36-year-old goaltender analyzed the current roster and had this to say at the conclusion of another one of his signature responses to a media member's question.
"We're another year older and more experienced, and the best part is that we still have a young team - except me."

Rinne couldn't help but laugh at his realization, a simple fact of life as he prepares to enter his 11th consecutive season as the main man in the Preds crease.
Coming off his first Vezina Trophy win as the League's top netminder - and the fourth time he's been nominated in total - Rinne is at the point of his career where most goaltenders begin to see their quality of work decline.
That simply hasn't happened yet for Nashville's anchor between the pipes.
"I've never even thought about it," Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm said when asked about Rinne's level of play. "Through the years that I've been here, he's been the best player each and every night, and he keeps doing that. I'm not going to start thinking that he's too old or what have you until he shows that. Right now, he looks like he's playing the best hockey of his life."
You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone in the Nashville organization who feels any different, and Rinne has found ways to continually adapt his game over the years, as well as his offseason training - but nothing crazy.
"I'm just trying to take care of myself every single day and do all the right things," Rinne said of his summertime routine. "Just get the basics - train well, eat well and sleep well, so it's pretty simple. But you've also got to remember to enjoy your summer and get some rest."

Rinne has also begun to receive more rest during the grind of a regular season, seeing an ever-so-slight decline in his total games played over the past three campaigns. Even so, Rinne collected 42 victories in 59 contests last season, just one off his career-high for wins.
As a professional athlete, Rinne is a competitor and he wants to play - and win - as much as possible. But he also realizes he's got a protégé beside him who is more than capable of stepping in to give his fellow Finn a night off.
Juuse Saros posted 11 wins of his own last season, including an 8-1-2 record while starting in all 11 of the second half of Nashville's back-to-backs. The 23-year-old, who lived with Rinne for a time when he first came to Nashville, has formed a special bond with the goaltender he once looked up to as a young lad.
They've become each other's biggest fans - and that's the best that any team could possibly hope for.
"To see the relationship has been just awesome," Ekholm said of the goaltending duo. "It's kind of like dad and son. I mean, [Rinne] has really taken [Saros] under his wing and I think you see how good [Saros] is right now, too. He's just playing really well every chance that he gets, and I think he's going to be up there challenging Pekka to be even better, too. I think it's a really good relationship they have and it's good for us."
It's all but a foregone conclusion that Rinne will lead the Predators to the ice when they open the season on Oct. 4 in Brooklyn against the New York Islanders, and while the day will eventually come when there's a different face at the front of the pack, it's certainly not time yet.
Rinne is well aware that he won't be able to play at an elite level forever, but he's sure going to try.
"The older you get, I think you just try to be athlete 24/7 and try to take care of your body, try to find a way to physically get better," Rinne said. "The demand today is even higher than ever before. The game is faster, there's more skill on the ice than ever before and the same goes to goalies. You really have to take care of yourself and feel like I had a good summer. I'm healthy and energized and feel really good, so I'm looking forward to the season."