Josi leading charge for Predators in playoff push

NASHVILLE -- The Nashville Predators are attempting to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing last season, and Roman Josi is spearheading that charge.

The Predators (43-28-4) enter their game against the St. Louis Blues at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+) as the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, three points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings.

They are in that spot thanks to a 16-3-2 run in their past 21 games, including an 18-game point streak (16-0-2) from Feb. 17-March 28 that was the longest in the NHL this season.

Josi has been a huge factor defensively and offensively in those 21 games; he has 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists) and is plus-14 while averaging 24 minutes of ice time.

“We need him every night to be our best player, if not our top-two best players,” Predators defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “He’s so consistent in that regard, which is hard to do in this league. It’s a credit to him and the way he takes care of himself and the way he prepares for each game to go out and be the best player.”

Selected by Nashville in the second round (No. 38) of the 2008 NHL Draft, has played 902 NHL games with the Predators, which is second all-time behind David Legwand (956). His 677 points and 500 assists are the most in Predators history among all skaters, and his 177 goals are the most by any Nashville defenseman.

The winner of the Norris Trophy in 2019-20 as the best defenseman in the NHL, the 33-year old is as committed as ever to finding ways to continue to improve his game.

“I would say I’m a very curious person,” Josi said. “I always try to learn. I always try to find new things and try to get better. There’s a lot of things that come with it, right? You’ve got to take care of your body. There’s a mental part to it. There’s the hockey stuff, obviously. Like I said, I’m very curious. I always try to find new things to get better with myself.

“There’s definitely a lot of things I do now that I didn’t do when I was 23, which I kind of wish I did do when I was 23. You just don’t know any better when you’re younger. Over your career, I think you learn a lot of things. There’s obviously things that work for you and you stick with it, but I’m also one of those guys who I change my summer program a lot, and I’m always trying to find new things and just keep it fresh in that way.”

The Predators have dealt with injuries to defensemen Alexandre Carrier, Jeremy Lauzon, Dante Fabbro and Spencer Stastney, which forced coach Andrew Brunette to rotate his pairings.

They are now healthy on defense, and Josi has spent significant time on a pairing with McDonagh, who has been reliable in his own end. Josi feels like that has allowed him to be more aggressive with his offensive attack.

“He’s just very calm back there,” Josi said of McDonagh. “Obviously he’s great defensively, but he’s very skilled also. I think his offensive game sometimes is underrated, the plays he makes and the reads he makes. He’s just a rock back there; he doesn’t make any mistakes. You play with him and he’s your safety net. You know he’s going to do his part.”

Josi is generating some buzz in the Norris Trophy conversation with his recent production. It’s a crowded field with players that includes the likes of Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks), Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche) and Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning).

If he becomes a finalist, it would be the third time in his career. But those who know Josi well say that team success and trying to make another deep playoff run are more important to him.

“For him, he knows he’s amongst the best defensemen in the world, and we all know that as well,” former Predators defenseman and current ESPN hockey analyst P.K. Subban said. “So, he doesn’t have to win one every year to be in that conversation. I think that putting a winning team on the ice and competing and being in contention is much more important to him. I can tell you that firsthand from playing with him.

“I’m one of [Josi’s] biggest fans. I love watching him play and watching him lead. He continues to get better and better. He’s tweaking his game. You can see guys are adjusting to playing with him and his style, and that’s what you watch for players over their career. Can they adjust to the new players coming in? He always seems that he’s comfortable out there, and he looks great. He should definitely be in the [Norris Trophy] conversation with those guys. I know I have him there.”