Fansided

Nashville Predators: 5 burning questions for 2018-19 season

By Jeremy Lambert

NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 29: Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban (76) and Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (35) talk during Game Two of Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators, held on April 29, 2018, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 29: Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban (76) and Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (35) talk during Game Two of Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators, held on April 29, 2018, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
NASHVILLE, TN – APRIL 29: Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (35) is shown during Game Two of Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators, held on April 29, 2018, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN – APRIL 29: Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (35) is shown during Game Two of Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators, held on April 29, 2018, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

4. What to do with Pekka Rinne?

Which leads us to our next question.

Pekka Rinne is coming off a Vezina trophy winning regular season. Most teams would not trade a guy coming off such a regular season performance. Oh, but those playoffs. Those wheels-fall-off playoffs. It’s never a good sign when you pull your starting goaltender 10 minutes into Game 7.

Rinne is 35 years old and in the final year of his contract. Nashville just re-signed backup Juuse Saros, 23, to a three-year deal. He has great numbers as a backup and looked outstanding in limited minutes during the playoffs. Of course, how many backups have we seen fail when given the responsibilities of a starter? Granted, most of those guys end up on different teams in search of a starting goalie. In this scenario, Saros would remain in Nashville.

Which means Rinne could be headed elsewhere.

There are a handful of teams who need a No. 1 goalie to help push them into the playoffs. The Hurricanes, Flames, and Flyers are just three teams with playoff caliber rosters who desperately need an elite goalie.

The only problem? Rinne has a modified no-trade clause. If the Predators want to trade him, he’ll submit a list of ten teams he would accept a trade to. If he wants to ensure a playoff appearance and potential Stanley Cup run in the twilight of his career, Carolina, Calgary, and Philadelphia might not make his top 10.

Who would have thought having the reigning Vezina winner would be so complicated.

Home/Nashville Predators