Predators place Annunen on IR; Murray recalled

Oct 6, 2026, 12:26 EDT

The deal will carry an average annual value of $1.25 million.

Credit: Dec 13, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Nashville Predators goaltender Justus Annunen (29) in the second period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Nashville Predators had to make a roster move on Tuesday, and the team announced that it has placed Justus Annunen on injured reserve and recalled Matt Murray, who will take over the backup spot behind veteran starter Juuse Saros for the time being.

Annunen has not yet made his debut this season as he has been sidelined, meaning Saros has handled the full workload in both of the Predators’ games to this point. The 26-year-old Finn impressed as Saros’ backup last season to the tune of a .907 save percentage in 28 appearances, which included 23 starts.

Murray, a 28-year-old from Alberta who played collegiate hockey at the University of Massachusetts, spent his first three professional seasons in the Dallas Stars organization before moving over to Nashville in 2024-25. Murray made his NHL debut in Dallas in 2023-24, but has yet to get a taste of the NHL with the Predators.

Murray was phenomenal for the Milwaukee Admirals in 2024-25, posting a .932 save percentage and 28-10-10 record across 43 appearances, and he followed that up with a less spectacular, but still solid, 2025-2 campaign that saw him notch a .904 save percentage in 47 games played.

The Predators are in their first season under new president of hockey operations Chris MacFarland, who spent the summer working to dramatically reshape the roster in a bid to get Nashville back into the Stanley Cup Playoff picture after two disappointing seasons that saw them idle in the spring.

The results have been solid so far as the Preds have gotten the year started with a split against two of the three teams heavily favored to finish near the top of the Central Division. Nashville fell 3-1 to the Minnesota Wild in their season opener before turning around and earning a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars last Saturday.

After two games on home ice, the Predators are now set to start off a three-game road trip against the Eastern Conference’s Canadian teams beginning with a visit to Scotiabank Arena to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

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