Kevin Lankinen on his Nashville Predators future as Barry Trotz mulls Juuse Saros decision

As the Nashville Predators head into the offseason, the future of their goaltending position is one of general manager Barry Trotz's main concerns.

But while most of the focus will be on Juuse Saros — whether Trotz signs him long term or trades him for assets — equally as important is what they do with his backup, Kevin Lankinen.

Lankinen — who started 17 games for Nashville this season, finishing with an 11-6-0 record — is an unrestricted free agent this summer. He played well in a backup role for the Predators, stopping 90.8% of shots faced, and finishing with 3.0 goals saved above expectations.

On Tuesday, Lankinen discussed the possibility of remaining in Nashville beyond this season, something he says he's considering as an option.

"I love it here, that's no secret," Lankinen said. "The coaching staff. The team we have in the locker room. The city itself. Unbelievable, top notch."

But Lankinen — who just turned 29 and has only started 101 games in his career — knows this could be an opportunity for him to step into the free agent market again.

"At the same time, so much to think about," Lankinen added. "So much to make choices on. (Nashville) would definitely be on top of the list."

Kevin Lankinen's future in Nashville depends on what happens with Juuse Saros

The goaltending situation in Nashville is complicated. Saros is about the enter the final year of a four-year, $20 million contract he signed in 2021. He is eligible for a contract extension on July 1, and Trotz indicated that's the preferred route for their ace goaltender.

"I’d like (Saros) to be here," Trotz said on Tuesday. "We’re going to work hard at getting something done with him.”

SAROS TALKS: Juuse Saros addresses his long term future with Nashville Predators

But there's also the team's top goaltending prospect, Yaroslav Askarov, to consider. Askarov just finished his second season in the American Hockey League (AHL) playing for Nashville's affiliate the Milwaukee Admirals. He has a 56-27-6 record for the Admirals in two seasons and seems ready to make the leap to the NHL.

Trotz has come to a fork in the road with his goaltenders. Does he sign Saros long term? Does he hold on to Saros for the final year and bring up Askarov to back him up? Or does he trade Saros and sign Lankinen as a stop-gap until Askarov is ready for full time action?

Until Trotz makes that decision, Lankinen has to wait. In the meantime, since he's a free agent, Lankinen admits he's ready to look elsewhere.

"I haven't put much emphasis or thought on that yet," Lankinen said about signing with Nashville. "The next couple weeks I'll start digging into that. Have some discussions, but I'm going to keep an open mind. See what's out there."

Lankinen just played out a one-year, $2 million deal with the Predators, which was a slight pay raise from his one-year, $1.5 million deal he signed in 2022. He's likely looking at more money and more term for his next contract.

"I believe that the opportunities that are supposed to be there will show up, whatever it is," Lankinen said.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Kevin Lankinen on his future as Predators mull Juuse Saros decision