The good, the bad, and ugly
The bad news is the Nashville Predators top four becomes instantly weaker. Alexei Emelin would be an ok partner for Ryan Ellis but that would drag Ellis’ stats down. Ellis would likely still put up over thirty points. But he wouldn’t be able to jump into the play as much as he’d like, and boy does he like to. This move will obviously hurt the Predators chances in the immediate future.
The good news is that Alexandre Carrier and Dante Fabbro are at most two years out of the NHL. Carrier projects to be a top four, two-way defender who is solid in every zone. Meanwhile Fabbro looks to be Josi-lite, but we’ll get a better perspective when he plays a full AHL season. Also, trading Josi likely means that the Predators will have enough money to sign Ellis and Mattias Ekholm. Otherwise, one or both will leave in free agency when some team offers them way too much money.
The ugly news is that nothing is going to happen. I think that selling high on Josi can keep the Predators great for longer, but they may sacrifice being as great now. If all goes well, they could back as early as next year. Wether they trade Josi or not, they’re still a great team.
Next: The NHL is wrong about Ryan Johansen
The Nashville Predators are the metaphorical belle of the ball. Everyone wants a piece of Josi and now might be the best time to get a return on the Josi investment.