Saros was not very sharp in Finland's tournament opening loss to Slovakia, allowing three goals on 24 shots. That will not discourage Finland from coming back to their No.1 goalie in a massive game vs. Their rivals from Sweden. Saros and Finland enter the game as +160 underdogs.
Saros will start Finland's tournament opener vs. Slovakia and is expected to be their No.1 throughout the tournament. Saros and the Finns are large -410 favourites in their opener, but it's been far from an ideal season for the Predators' netminder. Saros is 21-17-5 with a 3.20 GAA, .892 SV% and 50.0 QualityStart% in the NHL. Last year, Saros struggled at the 4Nations, but was 4-2-0 with a 1.67 GAA and .943 SV% at the World Championships where Finland finished seventh.
Barron will slot into the lineup on Thursday as the Predators opt to get some fresh legs into their lineup for the tail-end of their back-to-back. Nick Blankenburg will sit in his place.
Blankenburg will take a seat on Thursday as the Predators opt to get some fresh legs into their lineup for the tail-end of their back-to-back. Justin Barron will dress in his place.
Wood was reassigned to able to spend the Olympic break playing in AHL games for the Admirals. The 2023 first-rounder has nine goals and eight assists in 46 games this season.
Wiesblatt has not played the past two games for the Predators, but he will return to the lineup in their final game before the Olympic break. The 23-year-old forward is averaging 10:28 time-on-ice and has four points (1G / 3A) in 29 games this season.
Schaefer will immediately draw into the lineup after being recalled earlier in the day. The 22-year-old, a first-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, has 18 points (6G / 12A) in 21 games with Milwaukee (AHL) this season.
It's unclear at this time whether Wiesblatt is dealing with an undisclosed injury or if he's simply a healthy scratch. Reid Schaefer will take his spot in the lineup.
Barron will take a seat in favour of Nicolas Hague, who returns from a lower-body injury. Barron has zero goals and five assists in 31 games this season.
Hague was a surprise addition to Nashville's lineup on Wednesday with the team not announcing his return prior to warmups. Hague has two goals and nine assists in 41 games this season.
Annunen played well in relief of Juuse Saros in Monday's 6-5 win over the St. Louis Blues, saving all 13 shots he faced, and will return to the crease on Thursday in the tail end of a back-to-back. The 25-year-old Annunen has seen limited action lately, but has been serviceable when called upon, posting a 2.44 GAA and .918 SV% in nine appearances (4-2-1) since the beginning of December. The Predators enter Thursday's contest as +142 road underdogs against a Washington Capitals team whose three-game winning streak was snapped on Tuesday in a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Saros had a rough performance in his previous outing, allowing five goals on 21 shots (.762 SV%) before being replaced by Justus Annunen in the second period of a game that Nashville rallied back into with a 6-5 victory. The 30-year-old Saros has improved after a miserable 2024-25 season, but is currently battling through a rough stretch, allowing three or more goals in eight consecutive games (5-2-1), posting an ugly 4.10 GAA and .877 SV%. The Predators enter Wednesday's contest as +106 home underdogs against the Minnesota Wild, who hold the best record in the NHL since the beginning of November (30-8-7).
Schaefer made his NHL debut earlier this season, tallying six points (4G / 2A) in 25 games with the Predators, but has spent the past three weeks in the AHL. The 22-year-old, a first-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, has 18 points (6G / 12A) in 21 games with Milwaukee (AHL) this season.
Englund was recently called up to fill in for Nick Blankenburg (illness), but he will return to the AHL, where he has spent most of the season. The 30-year-old Englund is averaging 8:49 time-on-ice and has zero point in three games with the Predators this season.
Englund will take a seat on Monday to make way for Nick Blankenburg's return from an illness. Englund has appeared in just two games this season and is yet to register a point.
Blankenburg will return to the Predators lineup on Monday after sitting out Saturday's game due to an illness. Blankenburg has appeared in 43 games this season, logging a career-high six goals and 15 assists.
Saros will make his league-leading 43rd start of the campaign when the Predators host the Blues on Monday. Nashville's franchise netminder secured the victory in his last start, stopping 27 of the 30 shots he faced in an overtime win on Long Island on Saturday. Saros brings a 21-17-4 record and an .895 SV% into Monday night's matchup, where the Preds enter action at -140 on the money line.
