Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Juuse Saros would be the prize trade asset here, as he’s still young enough to enjoy at least a few more seasons of his prime, and the Red Wings can afford to sign him to a long, lucrative deal. Sure, there is Sebastian Cossa, but even in a scenario that would bring Saros to the Motor City, it doesn’t mean Cossa wouldn’t be part of the big club.
For one, Saros wouldn’t face the pressure to start 64-plus games with Cossa eventually moving up, as has been the case over the past three seasons. That wouldn’t even be true next season, thanks to how well Alex Lyon played this year. Should Steve Yzerman make that blockbuster trade for Saros, he would sign the 29-year-old to a six or seven-year deal, and he’s the franchise goaltender across four or five seasons.
Remember, Cossa is only 21, so in this case, he would become the top guy in the net between age 26 and 27, but even before that, the upstart goaltender can eat away at Saros’ time at a slow, steady pace as the latter ages. Ideally, this would mean a frontloaded contract for Saros, and it would give the Red Wings a pair of outstanding goaltenders to go with a high-scoring team.
Let’s not get bold and say that in a year or two, bringing in Saros would simultaneously bring a Cup back to Detroit. But their chances of winning it all would be at their highest since the 2008-09 season, the last time they earned a trip to the Final.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)