The Nashville Predators were covered when it came to knowing who their starting goalie would be for the 2024-25 season. That was confirmed when general manager Barry Trotz gave Juuse Saros an eight-year, $61.92 million contract that was announced back in early July. There were more questions about who would be the backup netminder for the club. There were a few choices during the 2024 offseason. Some considered Yaroslav Askarov to be that answer before he was eventually traded to the San Jose Sharks. Nashville also signed free agent Matt Murray, who had prior NHL experience with the Dallas Stars during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
The goalie who appears to be claiming the backup role behind Saros is 32-year-old Scott Wedgewood. Trotz signed him to a two-year deal back on July 1. He is someone who fought for all of the opportunities he was given. As hockey fans can see from his NHL career in the past, there were seasons where he did not make even one NHL appearance. His first few NHL campaigns are spread out. Despite it taking some time for him to get more established, Wedgewood grew his game and became a quality NHL backup. Now, he is set to be Saros’ backup on a Predators’ squad aiming to hoist their first-ever Stanley Cup.
Wedgewood’s Prior NHL Experience
Wedgewood was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the third round (84th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut with the Devils during the 2015-16 season, where he suited up in four games and posted a 2-1-1 record. During that short span, he had a save percentage (SV%) of .957 and a goals-against average (GAA) of 1.25. In addition, Wedgewood also posted a shutout. He showed some promise in his brief amount of games for the club. Despite this, he would not play in another NHL game until the 2017-18 season. On top of that, he was no longer with the Devils.
Wedgewood found his next NHL opportunity with the Arizona Coyotes. He played 20 games for them in 2017-18, posting a 5-9-4 record with a 3.45 GAA, an .893 SV%, and one shutout. His NHL opportunities went back and forth between New Jersey and the Coyotes. After the 2017-18 campaign, he did not suit up in the league again until he was once again a member of the Devils. New Jersey had him between the pipes for 16 games during the 2020-21 campaign. He then split the 2021-22 season among three different clubs. He started with New Jersey, before he was claimed off waivers by the Coyotes on Nov. 4, 2021. Wedgewood spent the majority of his time that season with Arizona. However, he was acquired by the Stars on March 20, 2022, in a trade for a conditional draft pick in 2023. Overall, Wedgewood posted the following numbers split between the Devils, Coyotes, and Stars in 2021-22:
- 2021-22 (New Jersey Devils): 0-2-1, 3.19 GAA, and an .880 SV% in three games played
- 2021-22 (Arizona Coyotes): 10-12-2, 3.16 GAA, and a .911 SV% in 26 games played
- 2021-22 (Dallas Stars): 3-1-3, 3.04 GAA, .913 SV%, and one shutout in eight games played
Dallas was where Wedgewood started getting NHL game experience every season. He no longer went a whole season without playing in the league. During the other two campaigns with the Stars, he produced the following stats:
- 2022-23: 9-8-3, 2.72 GAA, .915 SV%, and one shutout in 21 games played
- 2023-24: 16-7-5, 2.85 GAA, and a .899 SV% in 32 games played
Those campaigns in Dallas helped Wedgewood receive his two-year deal from Nashville in July. He will likely be the backup netminder for the Predators heading into the 2024-25 season. He worked hard and earned this opportunity. Now, it will be interesting to see how he does when head coach Andrew Brunette calls upon him to battle in the crease for the club.
Related: Predators Sign Steven Stamkos to 4-Year Deal
Wedgewood may not have gotten as much attention in the offseason as some of the team’s other new signings Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. However, he plays a key role for the team, and his play on the ice, as well as his support of Saros and the rest of his teammates, matters significantly. If Wedgewood is stellar for the Predators in net, he and Saros could become one of the best goalie tandems in the league.
