Nashville Predators: What’s the plan for Pekka Rinne?
By Omar L
The Bigger Picture
It sounds crazy to imagine the Nashville Predators without Rinne as it’s number one goaltender. He’s held that role since the 2008-09 season. That being said, there’s a reason people say NHL front office personnel have to be ruthless. Sometimes those players who have been with you for years eventually have to be cut away. This may be that point for the Predators.
Rinne’s numbers in the regular season are undeniable. He finished with the highest Sv% (.937) among goaltenders who saw at least 2500 minutes of play at 5v5. Looking further into his regular season numbers, Rinne had a delta save percentage (dSv%) of +0.96 and a goals saved above average (GSAA) of 13.07.
His dSv% shows that he performed this year slightly above the average goaltender, which is what many would expect. Additionally, the latter stat indicates that the Rinne saved the Nashville Predators 13 goals on his own. If a league-average goaltender was between the pipes, that 204 goals against total from Nashville would have 13 added to it.
There’s nothing to say otherwise that Rinne isn’t a good option in net for a team. It’s his performances in the playoffs that make him a liability at times. Think back to last year’s Stanley Cup Final. Rinne was pulled in Game 1 after allowing 4 goals on 11 shots and had two other less than ideal games in net.
Having your starting goaltender implode on the largest scale has to sting, and unfortunately, it happened again this year. Saros is a young goalie who looks ready to step into a starting role. He’s finished both seasons with the Nashville Predators with at least a .920 Sv%. The 23-year-old is also an RFA finishing off the final year of his entry-level contract.