Preds Adjusting to Rinne's Retirement; Confidence in Saros High as Ever

Over the past 15 years, one of the few constants around the Predators organization was the presence of a lanky, kindhearted Finn, a man who donned large pads, wore No. 35 on his back and was held in the highest regard among everyone else on the team.
As Preds players, coaches and staff returned to Training Camp in Nashville last week under somewhat normal circumstances - a welcome reprieve from the past 18 months - that incomparable individual didn't join them for the first time in over a decade.
Suffice to say, things were a tad different.

Pekka Rinne's retirement was inevitable one day, but there's no other way to put it - not having the former goaltender around will take some getting used to, especially for those who knew him best.
"I mean, it is weird without him for sure, and I think it's going to be even weirder once we start playing games during the season," Preds Captain Roman Josi said of Rinne. "Not seeing Peks here, he's been such a big part of this organization for so many years, and just not having him in the room, the guys definitely miss him. We all love Peks, but we're all happy for him. He seems to be in a really, really good place. He's had an amazing career, and he's going to come back here soon, so we'll see him again soon."
"It's certainly different," Preds Head Coach John Hynes said of Rinne's absence. "Not only was he a good player - you obviously miss him on the ice and what he can bring because of the talented player he was - but what you do see is just who he is as a person around the room and the way that he goes about his business, how he treats everybody. He was a real leader of course, not just on the ice, but also off the ice, but I think it was time for Pekka. He made the decision that he was ready to move on and left his career and legacy in a great place. Now, it's an opportunity for other guys to be able to step up in that role."
That opportunity belongs to one individual, Rinne's protégé and fellow Finn, Juuse Saros. A goaltender who once idolized his countryman from back home when he was a young NHL hopeful, Saros has now blossomed into not only the starter in Nashville, but also one of the best in the League at what he does.
The proverbial torch had begun to be passed from Rinne to Saros over the past couple of seasons already, and after signing a four-year deal with the Preds in the offseason, Saros expressed his confidence and anticipation to truly take over without Rinne around.
Saros's teammates feel that way, too, and the manner in which they've witnessed the puck stopper develop as of late doesn't leave any hesitation in the Nashville crease.

"Juice is an amazing goalie, and I think he showed it last year," Josi said of Saros. "He was the best goalie towards the end of the season, the last 20 to 30 games, and I thought he was the best goalie in the League. He was amazing for us, and he was the biggest reason we made it into the playoffs. He was so good, and we know he's going to step up this year. He's going to be our number one goalie, and he's going to have an amazing year."
Of course, no goaltender plays all 82 games, and veteran David Rittich was signed in the summer to serve as Nashville's backup this season, plus netminders like Connor Ingram and Devin Cooley will give the Preds depth at the position. But the net belongs to Saros, and there's no denying why.
"We already know that [Saros] is the guy," Preds forward Filip Forsberg said. "He has proved that for almost three full years now. He's been phenomenal, and obviously the main reason we made the playoffs last year was how well he played. I'm not going to lie; it's been weird not having Pekka here. He's always here early, always with a smile on his face. You can't replace a guy like that, and everybody has to pick up the slack. But when it comes to the on-ice stuff with Juuse and [Rittich] coming in, we are in very good hands."
When Saros leads the Preds to the ice on Opening Night at Bridgestone Arena, not seeing the No. 35 finish up the line will be a different sight. Rinne will be back in the building at some point, however - he has stated he'll return to Nashville to reside in Tennessee this season - and the Predators sure intend to honor him at some point.
No doubt he'll be Saros's biggest fan in the meantime, just like the fandom the rest of the Preds showed Rinne all those years.
"A few of us had dinner with Peks last year when he kind of told us that he was going to call it, and he said it best - he said, 'It's Juice's time.'" Preds forward Matt Duchene recalled. "And as much as I believe that Peks [could] probably [still be] a starting goaltender in the League, I think we all believe that Juice is ready to be a number one goalie in this League - and not just a number one, but one of the better number ones. There's never a night that he's in net that we aren't completely confident in him, and he looks great already. I mean, he makes saves he shouldn't make, and he makes all the saves he should, so he gives us a chance to win every night."