Wedgewood Adopts Backup Role with Predators: ‘I’ll Make Guys Trust Me as an Option Every Night’

There is a new No. 2 behind Juuse Saros in Nashville this season.

As part of a flurry of signings when free agency opened on July 1, Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz signed 31-year-old backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood to a two-year contract worth $. 3 millions.

Aside from his rookie NHL season in 2015-16, in which he played just four games, Wedgewood has posted career-best numbers over the past three seasons with Dallas. He set new career highs last season in games played (32) and starts (28), posting a 16-7 record, a 2.85 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage. Over his NHL career, which spanned eight seasons, he had a 2.96 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.

Related: Nashville Predators sign backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood to 2-year contract

“I always want to get better,” Wedgewood said. “I don’t think my numbers really show how good a goalkeeper I am, and that’s a circumstance of where I started and where I developed. But over the last two years, if you look at where my game has come with stable numbers, it’s obviously been an uphill battle… Keeping my head above water like I did for a long time to earn that contract was something that was a long time coming. time. I thought about myself and my family, which is very rewarding; the journey was.”

Indeed, Wedgewood’s journey to the NHL has not been easy. Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the fourth round (No. 84 overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft, he signed an entry-level contract with the Devils and turned pro in 2012.

However, with Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur still holding the top spot and Cory Schneider acquired in 2013 to succeed him in New Jersey, Wedgewood was stuck in the minors for most of the next four seasons. He finally made his NHL debut on March 20, 2016.

Wedgewood missed most of the 2016–17 season, however, due to a torn shoulder labrum that required season-ending surgery. He was healthy again entering training camp in 2017 and finally got a chance to play regularly in the NHL at age 25 after being acquired via trade by the Arizona Coyotes.

His first stint in the NHL was short-lived. After one season in Arizona, Wedgewood signed with the Buffalo Sabers in 2018 but spent the season with Rochester of the American Hockey League. He signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning a year later, but again spent the season in the AHL, this time with Syracuse.

Wedgewood returned to New Jersey in 2020, signing as a free agent with the team that drafted him 10 years earlier. The Devils released him the following season, however, and he was signed by Arizona for a second stint with the Coyotes. He appeared in 26 games for Arizona during the 2021–22 season before being traded to Dallas for a conditional pick in the 2023 NHL Draft on March 20, 2022.

Wedgewood’s career taught him the value of patience and perseverance. He understands his supposed role as a backup in Nashville, but is grateful for the opportunity for more playing time.

“You play your 25 or 30 games [as a backup goalie],” Wedgewood said. “You know your role. But I managed to prove that I can take advantage of the opening minutes if necessary. Last year, I think I started 12 or 13 times in a row and produced.”

As the Predators’ No. 1 goaltender, Saros has seen the highest workload of any NHL goaltender since the 2021-22 season, with 11,366 minutes of total ice time over that span. Wedgewood hopes to be the type of reliable backup who can lighten the load and extend Saros’ longevity even further on his newly signed eight-year contract.

“[The team has] the luxury of playing me back to back when the team is traveling and tired, or playing me when we are home and healthy,” Wedgewood said. “Play me 10 times in a row or once every three weeks. It’s something I had to work for, to be ready at a moment’s notice.”

Wedgewood, meanwhile, is eager to work with his new goaltending partner and deliver a formidable one-two punch to the Predators’ rearguard.

“Partnering with Juuse is going to be fun,” said Wedgewood. “I think we play the same game; we’re aggressive and good skaters. So it’s going to be a really fun practice and obviously being able to watch what he does day in and day out is going to benefit me a lot.”

In his first conversations with the Predators’ coaching staff, Wedgewood said there were no promises regarding his workload and playing time.

“Nothing was guaranteed by any means,” he said. “You would rather have 25 to 30 games, give or take what the management load is like, what the schedule is like, how the season is going. If you can get a few more or less, then you put the team first.”

As a career backup, Wedgewood understands that every opportunity must be earned and hopes to earn the trust of his new coaches and teammates in Nashville.

“If you do well, you’ll get into the net more,” Wedgewood said. “I’m going to make sure guys trust me as an option every night.”