Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is reporting that Roman Josi is day-to-day after leaving the Nashville Predators 3-2 overtime loss to Winnipeg yesterday. Josi did not make Nashville’s scheduled trip to New York for tonight’s game against the Rangers.
Not much is known about Josi’s injury as he joins a long list of Predators players who are out of the lineup. Nashville is already short on manpower as they are without the services of Ryan Johansen, Juuso Parssinen, Alexandre Carrier, Filip Forsberg, and Ryan McDonagh. Now they will be forced to navigate Josi’s injury as they try and chase down a wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Nashville has struggled to score this season with just 191 goals in 67 games, good enough for 28th in the NHL. Josi’s injury could further complicate matters as he leads the Predators in scoring with 59 points on the season. Despite the offensive struggles, Nashville sits just five points back of Winnipeg for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, with three games in hand.
It seems improbable that Nashville could make the playoffs given the recent injuries as well as the recent trade deadline sell off, but somehow they have hung around, largely due to the play of Josi and goaltender Juuse Saros. Josi has been a horse for the Predators having averaged over 25 minutes of ice time a night. The former Norris Trophy winner hasn’t had the kind of offensive production he enjoyed last season, but he has led a defensive unit that is ranked ninth in the league in goals against.
Maybe the 25min a night is connected to this injury….
NSH’s messaging system must’ve been stuck in traffic. Josi is simply listed as out with the dreaded UBI, per their Twerper account. Hynes’ “zero-to-minus-one” system will be stressed to keep up with the Blueshirts tonight. Spoiler alert – they’re already down 1-0. Correction, make that 2-0. 3-0!
TWO Roman Josi clones wouldn’t help the Cats tonight. NYR is on pace for 30 goals. Maybe they’ll let Nashville throw in the towel at 16.
@Mac – Now this is more of what I expected of the Preds since the great sell off! Goals, schmoals….that’s for those fancy, schmancy team like the Rangers. :D
@Gbear – I would’ve replied earlier, but I was getting treated for 3rd-degree burns from trying to keep up with Kenny & Rupper! Five goals in 10:01, but now that they’re in coast mode, they’re only on pace for 10 or 11 tonight. We can blame the B’s for starting all this mess today! :) You indirectly reminded me of who NSH can look at for their next bench boss. Rather than yet another NHL retread, it looks like they should consider interviewing their guy in Milwaukee. On paper, he seems like he’d be a decent candidate.
@Mac – Let’s just hope that Trotz isn’t Poile 2.0. I fear he may be, though maybe the Ovie years convinced him that goal scoring is actually cool!
@Gbear – I definitely hope he learned from Alex, firsthand, for the sake of all NSH fans. You really can have your cake and eat it too, just don’t try to follow Darryl’s lead in CGY, though.
@Mac – The Jets are starting to look like a Rick Bowness coached team once again. Lots of SOG, but no goals.
My money is on the Flames nabbing the 8th seed. They seem the least inept of the 3 teams vying for the spot.
@Gbear – Think it’ll be the “here you take it, no I don’t want it club”? Looking at WPG’s HockeyReference page, it reminds me a bit of the Nashville Cats. Where’s all the goal scoring? Connor is sitting at a BFHD 27G in 70 games. Not his usual self. PLD, who is injured, is at 24G in 62 games. Scheifele’s the only guy really holding his own and then some. I think they miss Perfetti and Gagner more than the paper stats would suggest. They’re picking the wrong time to sputter, but every Flames game I listen to is more of an adventure, too. At least Darryl has apparently given the reigns to Marky, so maybe that will get the team back on the rails.
@Mac – Kyle Connor’s face has been seen on milk cartons in the Winnipeg area. Something just not right with that Jets roster.