Nashville Predators’ defensemen Josi has gotten better every year he’s been in the NHL, but has he finally plateaued? Is it all downhill from here?
Roman Josi is an incredible two-way defenseman. No two ways around it. But is his presence paramount to the Nashville Predators success? If he magically turned into a top six forward and a top four defenseman, would the Nashville Predators be worse?
No matter what anyone says, Josi’s stock will never be higher. He’s coming off of another nearly fifty point season and he’ll likely produce around that level for the next two years or so. Then he’ll start declining, most likely around the same time that the Predators window starts to close. Should the Predators try to extend the window by dealing Josi? Before we move into the pros and cons of trading Josi, let’s talk about what trades actually make sense for the win-now Predators.
The Predators have the luxury of being able to trade a true number one defenseman without worrying about his replacement. But who has the pieces the Predators want?