Could the Detroit Red Wings be interested in Juuse Saros?

The goaltending of the Detroit Red Wings has been an issue for weeks now and General Manager Steve Yzerman may be looking to fix that issue. With many goaltenders being rumored to be available, who would the Red Wings be looking at? Possibly Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros.

With Ville Husso and his potential return still up in the air, the goaltending duties have been split between James Reimer, Alex Lyon, and Michael Hutchinson.

As a group, they have not been good but Lyon himself has been solid. With the return of Husso uncertain, Detroit needs a goaltender who is capable of carrying the load and putting the Red Wings back into a playoff spot. Saros could be that guy.

Saros was a fourth-round pick (99th overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft by Nashville and has been the second-best goaltender in Predators history behind Pekka Rinne.

The Detroit Red Wings could really use a new goaltender this season

He has the potential to be one of the league's best once again and he is young enough to have many more successful seasons ahead of him. However, if traded to Detroit, Nashville would not let him go cheap.

Going back to Nashville would be either Husso, Reimer, or Hutchinson to assume those number one goaltender duties between the pipes.

Also likely included would be one or two prospects, along with the same number of draft picks. This deal would not be hard for Detroit to pull off, as Yzerman always gets the deal done without giving up much.

This season, Saros is 16-13-1 with a 2.91 goals-against-average, a .904 save percentage, and two shutouts. He has a contract through 2025-26 and carries an AAV of $5 million per season.

For his career, all with Nashville, he has a record of 163-108-29 with a GAA of 2.62 and a save percentage of .918 with 22 shutouts. If acquired, he instantly becomes Detroit's best goaltender.

Saros has appeared in the last two all-star games and is looking to appear in his third straight. Among Predators goalies all-time, he ranks seventh in GAA (2.61), second in save percentage (.918), and second in wins (163).

If Yzerman can pull this off, the goaltending will have a trickle-down effect throughout the organization. Let's say Husso is part of the trade.

Husso goes to Nashville, Reimer could be released or traded, and Hutchinson could go back to the American Hockey League with the Grand Rapids Griffins. These moves would make the Red Wings goaltending tandem Lyon and Saros, a duo more than capable of winning hockey games.

Saros would give Detroit a new face between the pipes and some new energy. He is a smaller goaltender but makes up for that due to his sharp reflexes and quick movement in the crease.

His lack of size for today's goaltender should not be an issue due to his experience in both the regular season and playoffs, which could be huge if Detroit does grab a playoff or wild car spot. He led Nashville teams to many victories and they were depleted after many roster moves.

If the Detroit Red Wings do make a move to strengthen their goaltending, Saros could be had and make a huge difference in where this team is headed.

He is playing well and could be a real asset down the stretch. While it is uncertain if a deal like this would be made, it could be one that ties this team together and gets them back to their winning ways as they remain competitive in the Atlantic Division.