Nashville Predators News

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.

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.

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.

Jost has only played once in nearly two weeks, but will re-enter the lineup on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils. The 27-year-old Jost is averaging 11:28 time-on-ice and has seven points (3G / 4A) in 39 games this season.

Englund made his season debut in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins, going scoreless in 7:43 time-on-ice. He played 35 games last season, split between the Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings, but had spent the entirety of the 2025-26 season in the AHL. The 30-year-old defenseman has six points (2G / 4A) in 34 games with Milwaukee (AHL) this season.

Annunen was solid in his previous outing, saving all 13 shots he faced in relief of Juuse Saros in a 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The 25-year-old Annunen has seen limited action in recent weeks, but has been mostly serviceable when called upon, posting a 2.61 GAA and .912 SV% in seven appearances (3-2-0). The Predators enter the action on Thursday as +112 road underdogs against a New Jersey Devils team on a two-game losing streak (0-2-0).