Nashville Predators: Roman Josi Named Next Captain Of Predators
By Steve Cook
The Nashville Predators have named their eighth captain in franchise history. Roman Josi is ready to build an empire from their success.
Since Mike Fisher‘s retirement, there has been constant speculation over who the next Nashville Predators captain would be. While there were plenty of deserving candidates, one man stood out as the favorite in the eyes of fans, reporters, & Vegas odd-makers.
Roman Josi had been an assistant captain for Nashville since 2015-16. Even before then people would talk about how one day Shea Weber would pass on the captaincy to him. Josi learned while being in Weber’s shadow and acquired most of the tendencies that won Weber the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2015-16.
The Predators made it official on Tuesday, naming Josi the eighth captain in franchise history.
His leadership on the ice is undisputed. Josi’s made the top fifteen of Norris Trophy voting the past three years, placing among the top defenseman in the NHL. He’s also placed in the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy voting two of the past three years, showing his status as one of hockey’s most respected players. People inside the game know that Josi is among the best at what he does.
Josi still doesn’t get the most attention from fans & media, as P.K. Subban has soaked up much of the star power on Nashville’s blue line. That’s fine with Josi though, as a great leader doesn’t need the attention on him at all times. He’s more than happy to let P.K. have the spotlight while he does the little things to take the Predators to the next level.
Josi is under contract to Nashville for three more seasons, making $4 million at a very team-friendly rate. His value to the franchise increased even more with today’s announcement. It all but ensures he’ll be staying in Smashville even after his current contract expires in 2020-21. Nashville will worry about this another day.
Next: Ranking Every Captain In Predators History
Now the Nashville Predators can head into the 2017-18 season knowing who will lead them into battle. There’s plenty of capable leaders on the roster, but it’s officially Roman Josi’s yard.