Pekka Rinne isn't interested in leaving the Nashville Predators to chase a Stanley Cup during what could be his final NHL season.
"I believe in this team," Rinne told The Athletic's Adam Vingan. "I do want to retire as a Predator."
Nashville currently sits seventh in the Central Division, 10 points back of a playoff spot. The Predators have qualified for the postseason each campaign since 2014, leaving Rinne with an unfamiliar feeling right now.
"For sure, I want to have success," he said. "I've been fortunate that we've been, for most of my career, doing pretty well. For the most part, we've never been sellers at the deadline. Obviously, I don't want to go through that. This is the team I want to retire (with)."
Rinne is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and the Predators will likely sell off some assets prior to the trade deadline as they stare down a potential rebuild.
The 38-year-old has been Nashville's No. 1 netminder since the 2008-09 season, and he was among the NHL's best goalies at his peak. Rinne has been a Vezina Trophy finalist four times, and he won the award in 2018. The veteran owns a career .917 save percentage across 678 games despite being below .900 in each of the past two seasons.
