To proclaim that Roman Josi had a stellar 2014-15 campaign is an understatement. Last season was Josi’s coming out party with career high totals in all statistical categories including four game-winning goals.
The Stats:
| GP | G | A | P | PIM | S | S% |
| 81 | 15 | 40 | 55 | 26 | 201 | 7.5 |
| 5v5 P/60 | 5v5 SAT% | 5v5 SAT% Rel | 5v5 SCF% | 5v5 GF% | 5v5 PDO | 5v5 TOI/Gm |
| 1.2 | 50.3 | -4.5 | 51.2 | 60.7 | 102.5 | 19.6 |
Season Summary:
With arguably the most cap-friendly contract for (what should have been) a Norris front-runner, Josi was able to complement the top defensive pair for Nashville. He provided one of the best blue line tandems in the NHL with Shea Weber. They are so in sync when they play that it hearkens back to the time of Ryan Suter being in a Predators uniform, but the key difference is Roman Josi can score goals. He was tied for 6th in goals for defenseman last season and 5th in points. His hero chart below shows just how dominant he is in most aspects of the game:
Highlight Moment:
Roman Josi proved how dominant he can be by taking the Predators on his shoulders and potting two goals against the brick wall that was Devan Dubnyk…in 45 seconds. Watch and learn…or run and hide (if you’re a Wild fan).
The Road Ahead:
For the Nashville Predators pertaining to Roman Josi, they’re on a gravy train with biscuit wheels. With a highway robbery of a contract for Josi’s production (Poile must have worn a ski mask drafting that diabolical piece of paper) and a full summer for Weber to recover, it will be a top line defense again for the NHL to battle against.
Josi is a special player, the perfect balance of offense and defense. The only chink in his battle-tested armor would be the playoffs where the injury to Weber coupled with the deployment of Seth Jones opposite Josi (should have been Franson…c’est la vie) caused Josi to put up only one point. But the future is ultra bright for the left-handed d-man and if the Predators can duplicate or even over-achieve next season, expect Roman Josi to be the underlying cause.
Spirit Animal:
Garcia mentioned before the season that Josi’s spirit animal was a Hammerhead Shark.
Hammerhead shark. Often overlooked by the more fearsome and famous of its kind. Hawaiians consider the hammerhead the most respected species of shark, in addition to being “sacred guardians” of the ocean and their homes, both physically and spiritually.
I would, however, make a small change to Bull Shark. This bad boy can thrive in salt water or fresh water, so no matter how safe you feel a couple miles from the Gulf of Mexico, he can still come out of nowhere and surprise you. Just ask Dubnyk…Dah dum, Dah dum…
Average OTF Grade: A
What grade did Roman Josi earn for the 2014-15 season?
| A | 404 |
| B | 6 |
| C | 0 |
| D | 1 |
| F | 2 |