NHL rumors: Will Juuse Saros wait for Igor Shesterkin to sign his extension?

Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – The Lost Thought Episode is on.

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Marek: Okay, you know, one thing I found interesting that you mentioned this week, Juuse Saros and the Igor Shesterkin contract. “

Friedman: “Actually I didn’t think…”

Marek: “Wait, I want…. “

Friedman: “… this was a big deal.”

Marek: “No, you know why this is a big deal, because you know where my mind immediately goes back to? 2021. In the summer of 2021, the Oilers signed an extension with Darnell Nurse. I think they were looking, Elliotte, somewhere in the area five times five. I’m thinking something, something like that. “

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Friedman: “Oh, and they sign all the other Ds.”

Marek: “And, in order to, yes. So on July 23rd, Seth Jones signed the deal. Eight years $76 million, $9.5 million. And suddenly this, Darnell Nurse’s contract changed and changed to a lot of defenders, especially.

That’s why I think this is a big story as well, similar to how the Seth Jones’s of the world changed the situation for players like Darnell Nurse. Whatever ends up happening here with Igor Shesterkin, it will happen, it will be entirely influenced by Juuse Saros if he allows it and simply rushes to make a deal before Shesterkin sets a new bar. That’s why I think it’s a big deal.”

Friedman: “Okay, so this is one of those things. I did a weekly radio show in Nashville, which I really liked like Caroline Fenton and Willy Daunic and Derrick Mason, I really enjoyed talking to them. So Willy asked me, like do you think the Saros agent, who is Kevin’s operative would be waiting for Shesterkin.

I was like, yeah, sure. I mean, if that’s what he wanted to do. And this goes, I put this one of those things that you never know, in the social media world, what’s going to take off? Because there are things that you say, you think are wrong, they’re just normal, and then they go kablooey and then there are things that say, Oh, this is going to be a big bomb and it’s not going anywhere. There is no control. And this is one of those things that I said, this is completely normal. Like, of course, the agent can wait. And the next thing I knew I was going crazy. And I was like, wow, I didn’t think I was actually saying anything crazy here.

Look, I believe that. One thing I say that I really stick to is that, one of the reasons I think Saros was named came out of the trade rumors at the deadline this year and at one point, I said I thought it was both 50-50, that if the negotiations had gone really well, I don’t think it would have been there is an opportunity for him to be traded.

And I think the Predators and his representatives got together and talked about him being a Hunter for life. Then when the two sides started talking about the parameters of the contract, it wasn’t where Nashville was comfortable. And it’s all negotiation and you know, you see what happens. And I understand that conversations don’t always follow each other. So these things go on and I tend not to panic about them.

So when they revealed he couldn’t wait because Shesterkin was going to sign a big number? I’m like, yeah, I’m sure it’s possible. But again, just because that’s the agent’s plan and what to do, doesn’t mean that’s how it’s going to end.

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And, you know, that’s one thing here, I, it really sounds to me like Saros and the Predators would like to continue this marriage. He just got a number and Barry Trotz even said at the end of the season, don’t be surprised if this goes past July 1st.

So I think that he, like many general managers, is not looking at where we are, but where we are going. So I mean, I was a little surprised this, this turned into news, but, you know, like in this day and age, you never know what’s going to be big.