The Nashville Predators may be without starting goaltender Juuse Saros for the second consecutive game.
Saros, who is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, missed the Predators’ 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on March 19. The injury occurred during the team’s morning skate at Bridgestone Arena.
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His status remains unchanged for the Predators‘ upcoming matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights on March 21 (1 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network).
Though Saros did make an appearance at practice on March 20, his work was limited. He consulted closely with goaltending coach Ben Vanderklok while taking a few slap shots from defensemen Nick Perbix and Adam Wilsby. Saros did not participate in full team drills and left for the locker room about 15 minutes into practice.
“Yeah, we don’t know, we’ll see,” coach Andrew Brunette said after practice at Centennial Sportsplex. “It’s a little bit of a day-to-day with him right now. It’s good to see him on the ice.”
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Nashville Predators, Steven Stamkos battle Seattle Kraken in chase for wild card
Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ufko (85) celebrates his goal against the Seattle Kraken with defenseman Brady Skjei (76) during the first period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 19, 2026.
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Nashville Predators, Steven Stamkos battle Seattle Kraken in chase for wild card
Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ufko (85) celebrates his goal against the Seattle Kraken with defenseman Brady Skjei (76) during the first period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 19, 2026.
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Nashville Predators, Steven Stamkos battle Seattle Kraken in chase for wild card
Nashville Predators center Steven Stamkos (91) fights for the puck with Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers (10) during the first period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 19, 2026.
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Nashville Predators, Steven Stamkos battle Seattle Kraken in chase for wild card
Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord (35) and defenseman Adam Larsson (6) defend against Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly (90) during the first period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 19, 2026.
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Nashville Predators, Steven Stamkos battle Seattle Kraken in chase for wild card
Seattle Kraken center Frederick Gaudreau (89) celebrates his goal against the Nashville Predators during the first period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 19, 2026.
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Nashville Predators, Steven Stamkos battle Seattle Kraken in chase for wild card
Nashville Predators left wing Erik Haula (56) battles Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord (35) and defenseman Ryan Lindgren (55) during the first period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 19, 2026.
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Nashville Predators, Steven Stamkos battle Seattle Kraken in chase for wild card
Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ufko (85) celebrates his goal against the Seattle Kraken during the first period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 19, 2026.
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Nashville Predators, Steven Stamkos battle Seattle Kraken in chase for wild card
Seattle Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson (6) passes the puck against the Nashville Predators during the first period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 19, 2026.
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Nashville Predators, Steven Stamkos battle Seattle Kraken in chase for wild card
Nashville Predators right wing Luke Evangelista (77) battles Seattle Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren (55) during the first period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 19, 2026.
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Nashville Predators, Steven Stamkos battle Seattle Kraken in chase for wild card
Nashville Predators left wing Zachary L’heureux (68) gets tangled up with Seattle Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak (24) and center Ben Meyers (59) during the first period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 19, 2026.
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Nashville Predators, Steven Stamkos battle Seattle Kraken in chase for wild card
Nashville Predators center Tyson Jost (17) chases the puck with Seattle Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren (55) during the first period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 19, 2026.
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Nashville Predators, Steven Stamkos battle Seattle Kraken in chase for wild card
Nashville Predators center Tyson Jost (17) skates with the puck past Seattle Kraken center Ben Meyers (59) during the first period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 19, 2026.
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Nashville Predators, Steven Stamkos battle Seattle Kraken in chase for wild card
Nashville Predators center Steven Stamkos (91) fights for the puck with Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers (10) during the first period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 19, 2026.
Given the limited work at practice and the quick turnaround, it seems unlikely that Saros will play against the Golden Knights. That means Justus Annunen, Saros’ backup, could make his second straight start.
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Annunen made 25 saves against the Kraken in his 17th start of the season. He also played two periods of the game without a backup goaltender on the bench – Matt Murray was a late recall from Milwaukee, flying in from Winnipeg, and made it to Bridgestone Arena game by the start of the third period.
Annunen earned his seventh win of the season, helping the Predators pull into a tie with the Kraken for the final wild card spot.
“(Annunen’s) playing with a lot of confidence, a lot of swag,” Brunette said. “We put him in a tough spot, especially early in the season, and he’s been able to stay mentally strong and build his game up. He’s in a really good place.”
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex atjdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Juuse Saros injury update, play status for Predators vs Golden Knights