Summer Check-in: Roman Josi

We may be in the dog days of summer, but the Nashville Predators already have their sights set on the 2023-24 season.

After taking some well-deserved time away to rest their bodies and minds during the summer months, a handful of Preds players are already back training and hitting the ice together at Centennial Sportsplex to prepare for the start of training camp in September.

One of those players is team captain Roman Josi, who is back to feeling 100 percent after being sidelined with an injury at the end of the 2022-23 season. He checked in to give an update on what he's been up to this summer and discuss his goals and expectations for next season:

Favorite vacation/trip this summer?

"I went to the Bahamas for a week. It was awesome. It was a little rainy, but it was nice."

Are your kids, Luca (3) and Ivy (1), good travelers?

"They're good - well, Luca's good. Ivy's kind of a tough age. She's not walking, but she doesn't want to sit still. She just wants to move."

Favorite summer activity in Nashville?

"I like to golf. It's also nice in the summer because we have time to actually do stuff with the kids. I like taking my kids to the park or DEFY - the trampoline place - and stuff like that."

What are some of your kids' other favorite activities right now?

"Luca's really into cleaning. He likes lawn mowers and weed whackers, stuff like that. He loves yard stuff. He has a little lawn mower that he rolls around in the house."

New free-agent signing you are most looking forward to playing with this season?

"All of them. I feel like all of them have been in the League for a long time, so I've been playing against them for a long time. It's funny - I remember playing against [Gustav Nyquist] in Milwaukee in the AHL. He came out from college, and he was really good, so it's funny that we're now playing together. I don't know him [personally], but I've known him as a player for such a long time. Same with [Ryan O'Reilly] - we've played against each other for so many years. Obviously he's won the Cup, and just from talking to everyone I've heard how great of a guy he is, how great of a teammate, and just one of those guys you want on the team. So that's really exciting. And [Luke Schenn], too - we got drafted the same year, so I've known him for a long time, too. Even though I don't know them that well, I usually feel like I know them really well because I've been playing against them for so many years. [Denis Gurianov] may be the exception. He's a little younger, but we've seen him a lot in Dallas."

Which of your teammates from last season are you most excited about in 2023-24?

"[Tommy Novak] kind of broke out last year, so I'm excited to see what he does. [Cody Glass] is for sure going to take another step; he's had a great year, and now it's time for him to get an even bigger role. [Luke Evangelista] will be fun to watch because he's so talented, and he's shown how good he can be."

What are your personal goals for this season?

"I always set goals right before the season. I think every year is a little bit of a different challenge. I think for me, as a captain, it'll be a really fun year just with all the changes and bringing in some guys like O'Reilly and Schenn - guys who have been leaders on their teams. O'Reilly's been a captain; [Ryan McDonagh] was obviously here last year, but he's been a captain. So I feel like our leadership group is really strong. We are able to… try to inspire the young guys to set a culture here, which is a really cool challenge. That's probably one of the biggest things I look forward to."

With the addition of Luke Schenn on the right side, what do you anticipate the Preds' D-core will look like this season?

"It'll be an interesting camp and there will be a little competition, too, which is great. I feel like in today's NHL, most D-men can play both sides. Obviously, you prefer one side, but you could probably play both sides. But there's definitely a lot of competition - not just on defense, but for the forwards, too. There are a lot of spots that are open, and a lot of things are up in the air. So it'll be a competitive camp, which is only good for us."