The Nashville Predators just got some tough news about their leader on defense. Roman Josi is out with an upper-body injury, and it’s not looking like a quick return – the team says he’ll miss at least a few weeks.
The good news? This isn’t related to his POTS condition from earlier this year.
Josi had been playing really well before getting hurt. Through eight games, he’d already racked up five points – one goal and four assists – while eating up major minutes on the ice. We’re talking about 24 minutes per game, which is no small feat.
He’s been the Predators’ best defender by far this season, dominating on both power plays and penalty kills.
The injury happened during Thursday’s game. Though Josi tried to tough it out after missing part of the second period, it turns out the problem was worse than everyone first thought.
Nashville’s been hanging in there so far this season, grabbing eight points in their first eight games. That’s not bad for a team trying to bounce back from last year’s disappointment. But competing in the Central Division just got a whole lot harder without their defensive star.
There is a silver lining, though.
Nicolas Hague looks ready to jump into the lineup after coming off injured reserve. The Preds picked him up from Vegas this summer and didn’t waste any time locking him down with a $22 million, four-year deal.
Hague’s expected to step right into Josi’s spot on the top defensive pair, playing alongside Adam Wilsby. It’s a big opportunity for the newcomer, but filling Josi’s skates won’t be easy.
