Josi, Ellis Named to NHL Network's List of Top 20 Current Defensemen

Two of the NHL's Top 20 defensemen reside on Nashville's top pair.
Predators Captain Roman Josi and Associate Captain Ryan Ellis were named to the No. 2 and No. 19 spots, respectively, on the NHL Network's list of the Top 20 Defensemen in the League right now.
The Predators are one of just five teams with two defensemen on the list, and with former Preds Shea Weber of the Montreal Canadiens and Seth Jones of the Columbus Blue Jackets included, Nashville is the only club with four blueliners who were drafted and developed by the franchise.

Of course, Josi took home the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top blueliner two months ago, but he offered just as much credit to Ellis when reflecting on the honor.
"Playing with Elly the last couple years, he's just such a rock back there," Josi said following his Norris win. "He's so solid, he lets me play my game and he's an unbelievable player. I should probably give half of this trophy to him, and I hope he wins one of those. He definitely deserves it, he's an unbelievable player and I'm very glad I'm playing with him."
Ellis tallied eight goals and 38 points during the 2019-20 season, only three points from matching his career high, despite playing just 49 games. He was plus-16 and ranked second on the Predators in ice time per game (23:30) behind Josi (25:47) and third in blocked shots (96). Ellis has scored at least 32 points each of the past five seasons.

"Ryan Ellis has been that steady presence, at both ends of the rink," NHL Network analyst Ken Daneyko said. "Especially if you're a guy his size (5-foot-10, 180 pounds), he's not the biggest of stature, you have to have a high compete level and he has an extremely high compete level … He's a guy that continues to be a steady force for the Nashville Predators."
Meanwhile, Josi posted the best statistical season of his nine-year NHL tenure, establishing career highs in points (65), goals (16) and assists (49). Among NHL defensemen, he finished first in shots (260); second in points and assists; tied for second in goals; third in average time on ice (25:47); and fifth in power-play points (23). In addition to setting the Predators franchise record for points and assists by a defenseman in a season, Josi also was the only NHL blueliner to post at least 15 goals, 45 assists, 60 points, a +20 rating and 25:00 of average ice time during the 2019-20 campaign. His four multi-goal games this season were the most by a defenseman this season.
The heart of Josi's Norris Trophy season came from Dec. 16 to Jan. 9, when he rattled off a record-setting 12-game point streak, in which he tallied seven goals and 20 points. The stretch, which featured six multi-point outings, was a franchise-record point streak for a defenseman and the second-longest overall point streak in Predators history. It was the longest point streak by an NHL defenseman since Philadelphia's Shayne Gostisbehere's 15-game run in 2015-16; he also became one of eight League blueliners in the last 20 years to record a point streak of at least 10 games. Josi also recorded a five-game goal streak (7g) from Dec. 16-23, the longest such streak by an NHL defenseman since Mike Green's eight-game run (10g) from Jan. 24-Feb. 14, 2009 with Washington.

"I don't think we're going to get any argument having Roman Josi at No. 2, as the best defenseman," Daneyko said. "He just eats, sleeps and breathes hockey. He wants to be the best he can be for his teammates and what makes him so impressive is he's hard to track, hard to defend, because he's always in motion with that beautiful fluid skating stride."
Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman, winner of the 2020 Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup Playoff MVP, was named the NHL's best defenseman right now.