Nashville Predators Holiday List – 25 Days of Predsmas: Week 1

Up first, we’ve got Viktor Arvidsson as…a set of Glass Moose Mugs for drinking whatever beverage you choose.

You’re probably thinking, “Moose Mugs? Really? Why?” But c’mon – it’s the holiday season, and I defy you to tell me you don’t have a beverage of some kind you’d want to enjoy in a novelty like this.

Viktor Arvidsson started for us as a novelty, and in the years since, has more than exceeded expectations. What you may think is a quirky gift this year is going to be something you enjoy for years to come, the same way we enjoy Arvidsson.

Plus…Arvi…RV…”S#!T3R’$ full”…the jokes write themselves. That’s why. That, and the following tweet leading up to last year’s Winter Classic.

Keeping it with the JOFA line, we’ve got the Filip Forsberg of gifts: the Jelly of the Month Club Subscription

Are you picking up what I’m putting down? This week’s holiday theme is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. We’re talkin’ prime Chevy Chase.  If there’s a better way to describe Filip Forsberg (there probably is), I don’t know it. He’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Sure, we could have easily compared him to that overcomplicated home appliance, that when it works is wonderful, but probably shouldn’t be as complicated as it is, but I’m focusing on the good this holiday season, and when Forsberg is good, he’s GREAT.

Let’s just appreciate the Jelly of the Month Club and keep it moving.

Forsberg has always been on the cusp of superstar status, and he still has time to get there and keep gifting highlight reel goals for Predators fans everywhere.

Next up on the JOFA line, and last but certainly not least, it’s the Ryan Johansen of gifts…the pool.

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Dad (General Manager David Poile or “GMDP”) really wanted to go all out for the holiday season. He had a bonus (cap room) to spend, and thought, what better way to do so than a pool?

Long story short, we got our pool, and it’s Ryan Johansen. He’s the most expensive player on the team (well, tied with Matt Duchene), and when the time is right, he’s a lot of fun to have on the team.

The thing is, pools have off-seasons (especially if you live in Illinois where Christmas Vacation takes place), and like the pool, Johansen has had stretches where he’s just off. I mean, he’s on the ice, but the production isn’t there.

Let’s hope this year we get to enjoy more of the pool, and Johansen shows us why we committed $8 million per year to him.

In the meantime, enjoy this Johansen goal thread to remind us of better days:

The next gift departs from the JOFA line, and it’s Ryan Ellis: The Mystery Box.

You know the box I’m talking about, right? Need a reminder?

Russ: “Mom?” Ellen: “What?” Russ: “This box is meowing.” Clark: “Let me see it.” *Shakes up the box and the cat meows.* “She wrapped up her damn cat!”

Good ole Ryan Ellis. Sometimes the box turns out to have a great gift inside, like the goal stopping and goal scoring variety. Other times? Well, other times, the box contains a cat…one that leads to defensive breakdowns, turnovers, and sloppy transitions.

This holiday season, we hope your mystery box contains the former and not the latter. As of late, sometimes with Ellis, you never know what you’re going to get. However, when he’s on, he’s on an elite level of NHL defensemen, so here’s a reminder of that:

A full season of avoiding injuries for Ellis should make what’s inside that mystery box something you’ve always wanted. Like another Norris Trophy finalist?

Last, but CERTAINLY not least on this week’s list, is Roman Josi, aka, the Christmas Lights.

You’re probably thinking, “Christmas lights? What a throwaway.” But it’s not, and here’s why.

Nobody can light up a scoreboard or shine brighter on the Nashville Predators than our Norris Trophy winning, elite defense playing, all-star Captain: Roman Josi.

Many will argue that the villain of Christmas Vacation was Clark’s boss, Frank Shirley, and I’ll give them that, but he had a redemptive arc. No, in this writer’s opinion, the real villains of the movie were the Griswold’s pompous neighbors: Todd and Margo. You know what took them down? The Christmas Lights.

When the Predators need to take down a villain, our captain leads the charge.

Todd : Well, something had to come through the window! Something had to break the stereo! Margo : And why is the carpet all wet, *Todd*? Todd : I don’t *know*, Margo!

To end on the highest of high notes for the holiday season, check out these Josi highlights that helped him win the award for the NHL’s best defenseman…and try not to shed a tear of joy:

Have a very happy holiday season Predators fans, and be on the lookout for next week’s list, where I may or may not reopen the debate for whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie (it is).