Two Nashville Predators – goaltender Juuse Saros and forward Ryan O’Reilly – are being featured this season in a television commercial for a national financial planning company. In the lighthearted ad, O’Reilly fires questions Saros’ way about his financial future, to which Saros consistently replies, “No goals.”

As unusual as it is for the Predators to be featured in a national television commercial, it was almost as unusual for Saros to struggle as much as he did for much of this season.

Saros has taken that “no goals” mantra to heart in the Predators recent hot stretch. That’s resulted in a quieting of the buzz that was surrounding Saros’ name leading up to the NHL’s March 8 trade deadline, with general manager Barry Trotz indicating Saros will be staying.

Saros has allowed few goas during the heater, enabling the Predators to surge up the standings.

Generously listed at 5-foot-11, Saros may not have the height of the NHL’s trend toward taller tendies, but his dynamic movement and quick reflexes certainly make up for any lack of height that others may perceive as a negative.

During Nashville’s March 2 victory against the Colorado Avalanche, Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon beat Saros high to the glove side late in the first period. Late in the second, with the Predators holding a one-goal lead, MacKinnon had a breakaway and a clear look at trying to tie the game, but Saros snared his attempt to beat him high to the glove side again.

“He has a variety of skills and shot placement that he can do,” Saros says.

MacKinnon is among the league’s leading goal scorers. Predators coach Andrew Brunette not only saw that save as a key to that game, one that the Predators went on to win, but as a sense of pride in not allowing another one to one of the NHL’s top goal scorers.

“He got him upstairs the first time, and I don’t think Juice was going to let that go twice,” Brunette says.

Saros’ save percentage was below the .900 mark for most of the season. His recent play, and frankly the play of his teammates in front of him, too, have allowed him to raise that closer to his career save percentage of .918.

While there is still a month and a-half remaining in the regular season and what the Predators hope is a playoff run, as well, Saros’ contract status will be interesting to monitor once the offseason begins. He has one season after this one at $5 million remaining and will be eligible to sign an extension beginning July 1 if he and the team so choose.

With top prospect Yaroslav Askarov lighting up the minors, general manager Barry Trotz will certainly need to develop the long-range plan for who will be in between the pipes long term in Nashville.