Bet: Which Nashville Predator has Best Chance at NHL Award?
Most valuable player
Where would this team be without Roman Josi? The defenseman leads the Predators in scoring with 65 (16+49) points. That’s 17 points more than second-place Filip Forsberg. Josi is one of only two defensive players in the NHL to lead his team in scoring. The other is John Carlson of the Washington Capitals. Captain Yosi also leads the Presidents in average playing time (25:47), power play points (23), shot attempt differential in five-on-five situations (plus-185) and shots.
Best rookie
Defenseman Dante Fabbro – There were high expectations for him when he came over from college hockey at the end of the 2018-19 season and joined the rotation among Nashville’s defensive players. The current season is his first full season in the NHL. The 21-year-old defenseman was averaging 19:02 of playing time, fourth on his team and fifth among all NHL rookies who have played at least 40 games. Fabbro had 11 (5+6) points in 64 games.
Best defenseman
Josi is the top pick here as well. Nashville’s defense is stacked with skillful performers, but even among them, Josi towers over everyone else. He plays 2:17 more per game than Ryan Ellis, the team’s second-leading defenseman by that measure. He has 106 more shots than Mattias Ekholm, the team’s second-leading defenseman. He has 23 (4+19) power-play points. Meanwhile, no other Nashville defensive player has more than nine. His shot differential (plus-185) is also the best on the team.