The Nashville Predators have had a disappointing start to the 2024-25 season, with a record of 7-12-5 after 24 games. Recognizing the need for adjustments, the team made a minor trade with the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday morning.
While Juuse Saros has been excellent in goal, veteran backup Scott Wedgewood has struggled, posting a save percentage of just 87.8 in his first five appearances. To strengthen their goaltending, Nashville traded Wedgewood to the Avalanche in exchange for Justus Annunen and a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Nashville confirmed the trade on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Annunen has played 11 games for the Avalanche this season, though his performance has not been significantly better than Wedgewood’s, with an 87.2 save percentage. Both teams decided to go in different directions regarding their goaltending; Colorado sought Wedgewood’s experience, while Nashville took a chance on the younger Annunen, who is only 24.
Saros is expected to be the primary goaltender for the Predators, but the team wants to remain competitive when he’s not in net, which motivated this trade. While this move may not dramatically alter the Predators’ outlook, continued lack of results could lead the team to consider more significant changes, something they hope to avoid.
