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Nashville Predators Talk - 2024/2025 Season | Page 91 | HFBoards - NHL Message Board and Forum for National Hockey League
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Nashville Predators Talk - 2024/2025 Season

I would be completely fine with moving on from Josi because he's 34 years old and declining (not falling off a cliff, but still declining as just about any player would at 34). If we're honest with ourselves, this team is not going to contend for a Cup in the next 3-5 years (his useful lifespan more than likely), so he's just a depreciating asset at this point.

Having said that, I think blaming the team's issues on him is ridiculous. He's a fantastic player, just short of elite IMO (mostly because of a little inconsistency, though his defense is usually better than advertised). The team has been declining since the Cup final year because of roster construction and age-related factors. We've been down this road of blaming mediocre play on the "country club" or whatever, and jettisoning guys for serial winners didn't exactly fix anything. The team needs fresh talent, not a culture overhaul.
I would add, this is his worst season in recent memory as it is ours. I think as Josi goes, so does the team. That isn't a leadership issue, it's a production issue. This is not slamming Josi at all. I think there is too much weight on him to carry the team night in and night out and without a loaded d-corp as we've grown accustomed to, it's him on the back end having to do all the heavy lifting.
 
I would add, this is his worst season in recent memory as it is ours. I think as Josi goes, so does the team. That isn't a leadership issue, it's a production issue. This is not slamming Josi at all. I think there is too much weight on him to carry the team night in and night out and without a loaded d-corp as we've grown accustomed to, it's him on the back end having to do all the heavy lifting.
Why is Josi needing to carry the team? We have two new 40 goal scorers, Forsberg, an O'Reilly and Nyquist coming off very productive seasons, a Novak and Evangelista coming off decent full seasons.

His efforts to carry the team, which he can't accomplish anyway, only make the team worse. It's no surprise that him being out and the team reigning it in a bit and playing a bit more within their means was one of our better stretches on the season.

His effort to carry the team also completely kills our PP as the puck sits on his stick far too long awaiting a trip to the opposing shin pads rather than bring quickly cycled to enable another scorer.

We need our highly skilled defenseman to embrace his role on both sides of the ice and use his talents to move the puck to facilitate everyone's offense, and less occasionally shoot, more than to carry the rest of the squad.
 
Why is Josi needing to carry the team? We have two new 40 goal scorers, Forsberg, an O'Reilly and Nyquist coming off very productive seasons, a Novak and Evangelista coming off decent full seasons.

His efforts to carry the team, which he can't accomplish anyway, only make the team worse. It's no surprise that him being out and the team reigning it in a bit and playing a bit more within their means was one of our better stretches on the season.

His effort to carry the team also completely kills our PP as the puck sits on his stick far too long awaiting a trip to the opposing shin pads rather than bring quickly cycled to enable another scorer.

We need our highly skilled defenseman to embrace his role on both sides of the ice and use his talents to move the puck to facilitate everyone's offense, and less occasionally shoot, more than to carry the rest of the squad.
It's funny, when the team has been winning in recent years, no one every complained about what he brought to the team. Now that the team is losing, he's a scapegoat and should alter his game that has helped the team to its previous success?

You can't have it both ways.

I get what you're saying about him not having to carry the team but everyone you mentioned is having an off year yet I hear no one complaining about ROR looking a step slower than last year, Gus not being able to hit the net from 3 feet away, Fil not potting a goal for his longest stretch in his career, Stamkos and March being at what, 40 point paces this year and Skjei not providing anything from supposedly our second best defenseman. Not to mention all the kids not taking the next step forward and our fourth line producing at less than an optimal level even for a fourth line.

So what's the problem? Did every single player on this roster regress? Doubtful. My guess is it's still the same issue we've talked about all year and it's the coaching and system. Until that changes, I don't see the results changing but to pin it on a guy who's been one of the best defensemen in the league is laughable.
 
It's funny, when the team has been winning in recent years, no one every complained about what he brought to the team. Now that the team is losing, he's a scapegoat and should alter his game that has helped the team to its previous success?

You can't have it both ways.

I get what you're saying about him not having to carry the team but everyone you mentioned is having an off year yet I hear no one complaining about ROR looking a step slower than last year, Gus not being able to hit the net from 3 feet away, Fil not potting a goal for his longest stretch in his career, Stamkos and March being at what, 40 point paces this year and Skjei not providing anything from supposedly our second best defenseman. Not to mention all the kids not taking the next step forward and our fourth line producing at less than an optimal level even for a fourth line.

So what's the problem? Did every single player on this roster regress? Doubtful. My guess is it's still the same issue we've talked about all year and it's the coaching and system. Until that changes, I don't see the results changing but to pin it on a guy who's been one of the best defensemen in the league is laughable.
That's some bullshit. I've complained about him for years.
 
It's funny, when the team has been winning in recent years, no one every complained about what he brought to the team. Now that the team is losing, he's a scapegoat and should alter his game that has helped the team to its previous success?

You can't have it both ways.

I get what you're saying about him not having to carry the team but everyone you mentioned is having an off year yet I hear no one complaining about ROR looking a step slower than last year, Gus not being able to hit the net from 3 feet away, Fil not potting a goal for his longest stretch in his career, Stamkos and March being at what, 40 point paces this year and Skjei not providing anything from supposedly our second best defenseman. Not to mention all the kids not taking the next step forward and our fourth line producing at less than an optimal level even for a fourth line.

So what's the problem? Did every single player on this roster regress? Doubtful. My guess is it's still the same issue we've talked about all year and it's the coaching and system. Until that changes, I don't see the results changing but to pin it on a guy who's been one of the best defensemen in the league is laughable.
I've complained about Josi's play for years, and I said from day one when it was given to him that he shouldn't have been captain.

Him shooting into legs, holding the puck on the PP and his weak ass clearing attempts have been posted numerous times over the years by me and others.

There have definitely been complaints about Nyquist, and even Sissons has caught some heat. More than one time people have mentioned ROR being off.

Forsberg you may have a point, but at least he has been picking up assists in that drought
 
Been sitting on this one for a minute, but why did we ever trade Ekholm if we didn't intend to re-build?
While I wasnt a fan of alot of poiles moves I think he did set trotz up nicely for the team to go into a rebuild. Even though he should of traded Saros too because doing that we would of very likely ended that year with a top 5-10 pick which could of very well of been michkov, Leonard, Danielson or Dvorsky. Plus the 1st rounder we could of got when trading saros that could of been musty Richie or Perreault and not to mention a higher 2nd to draft a player like cristall who dropped out of the 1st. . You could of very well came out of that draft with 3-4 top prospects plus askarov. You trade joey and buy out duchene to continue the rebuild while not signing orielly and co and tank the next season and possibly get Celebrini demidov or inginla. Now in a 2 year rebuild you have askarov, michkov, Celebrini, Perreault, Cristal, and Molendyk to go with who we already have in the pipeline. I talk to my brother alot about what could of been if we would of started the rebuild when we should of and what our team could of looked like if we did and it makes me sick. The always just trying to make the playoff staff has screwed this fan base out something that could of been real special and in all honesty could of took 3 maybe 4 years to turn this team into a possible contender again. A young one at that. But instead we are an old team that's horrible with no future in the near future. Ugh
 
While I wasnt a fan of alot of poiles moves I think he did set trotz up nicely for the team to go into a rebuild. Even though he should of traded Saros too because doing that we would of very likely ended that year with a top 5-10 pick which could of very well of been michkov, Leonard, Danielson or Dvorsky. Plus the 1st rounder we could of got when trading saros that could of been musty Richie or Perreault and not to mention a higher 2nd to draft a player like cristall who dropped out of the 1st. . You could of very well came out of that draft with 3-4 top prospects plus askarov. You trade joey and buy out duchene to continue the rebuild while not signing orielly and co and tank the next season and possibly get Celebrini demidov or inginla. Now in a 2 year rebuild you have askarov, michkov, Celebrini, Perreault, Cristal, and Molendyk to go with who we already have in the pipeline. I talk to my brother alot about what could of been if we would of started the rebuild when we should of and what our team could of looked like if we did and it makes me sick. The always just trying to make the playoff staff has screwed this fan base out something that could of been real special and in all honesty could of took 3 maybe 4 years to turn this team into a possible contender again. A young one at that. But instead we are an old team that's horrible with no future in the near future. Ugh
I hear you and I agree that's a pretty unlikely scenario to have ever occurred.

For starters, I have zero trust in our scouts and development staff to truly draft and develop a legit offensive threat. If they had an eye for that, they would've already found their Johnston, Perreault, DeBrincat etc. For us, it requires a "cant-miss" draft position, like a top-five one, which I don't see us getting even after this shitshow of a year. There's still half of the season to go and there is no way this team is this bad when it's all said and done. So, the same will pretty much happen next year as well (difference being all of the core guys being one year older).
 
Also, has anyone from the media asked Trotz what's the plan for the end of this year? We're pretty far behind and playoffs would require a near-miracle.

Are we sellers?

Why hasn't there been any rumours of our players hitting the trade market?

What's the plan for next year? You most certainly can't run it back with this group and you have almost zero flexibility to make moves to strengthen this team.

I mean, what are we even doing here?
 
I think part of Josi's problem is...

He is trying to carry the team instead of letting everyone do the job they were brought here to do. He goes out there and tries to hard to create offense and ends up as the shin-pad assassin instead of maybe making the safer/better play that isnt a shot attempt. That's part of why implied he was going after stat padding. The forwards need to do more
 
I hear you and I agree that's a pretty unlikely scenario to have ever occurred.

For starters, I have zero trust in our scouts and development staff to truly draft and develop a legit offensive threat. If they had an eye for that, they would've already found their Johnston, Perreault, DeBrincat etc. For us, it requires a "cant-miss" draft position, like a top-five one, which I don't see us getting even after this shitshow of a year. There's still half of the season to go and there is no way this team is this bad when it's all said and done. So, the same will pretty much happen next year as well (difference being all of the core guys being one year older).
Everyone keeps saying there is no way this team is that bad but yet it is, and there has been no real sign of life that it is going to get better. If it was like last year where the team was just finding ways to lose games I could see it, but I honestly think this team is that bad and I think injuries are going to insure it stays that way.
 
Also, has anyone from the media asked Trotz what's the plan for the end of this year? We're pretty far behind and playoffs would require a near-miracle.

Are we sellers?

Why hasn't there been any rumours of our players hitting the trade market?

What's the plan for next year? You most certainly can't run it back with this group and you have almost zero flexibility to make moves to strengthen this team.

I mean, what are we even doing here?
From Reddit two days ago, he's kicking the can down the road again and says he needs to wait until the end of the month:
 
Yeah those Trotz comments are... something.

As for Ekholm being traded. No one should be surprised that Trotz wanted to move Ekholm. Trotz despised Ekholm while he was coach here. One of the very few players I got that impression from Trotz on.

Granted, Ekholm was a young player. And we all know how Trotz feels about those young players...
 
Trotz is delusional if he thinks this team has a chance at the playoffs.

31 points after 41 games
Need atleast 62 points out of the last remaining 82 points.
We can lose at a maximum 10 more games in regulation in the last half of the season. Win 3 out of every 4 games.

Maybe he wants to wait till the end of the month since we will be facing fellow bottom feeders Chicago, san jose, anaheim, and buffalo. We get smoked by them and maybe he is going to be more willing to go full tear down.

9 more games this month. 4 against good teams, 5 against the bottom rung. 2 against san jose giving askarov 2 opportunities to show trotz that he is dumb. Should be exciting.
 
Trotz is delusional if he thinks this team has a chance at the playoffs.

31 points after 41 games
Need atleast 62 points out of the last remaining 82 points.
We can lose at a maximum 10 more games in regulation in the last half of the season. Win 3 out of every 4 games.

Maybe he wants to wait till the end of the month since we will be facing fellow bottom feeders Chicago, san jose, anaheim, and buffalo. We get smoked by them and maybe he is going to be more willing to go full tear down.

9 more games this month. 4 against good teams, 5 against the bottom rung. 2 against san jose giving askarov 2 opportunities to show trotz that he is dumb. Should be exciting.
He can’t possibly believe that. This has to be spin to keep building full. Right?
 
Josi’s ability to miraculously guide the puck into the closest defender’s shins has been a joke around here for a very long time. The way he runs the blue line on the power play, again people have been critical of it for a while. His deficiencies in his actual defensive game have been discussed for a long time too and also been stated as to why he’s so hard for his D pairing to play with.
 
Josi’s ability to miraculously guide the puck into the closest defender’s shins has been a joke around here for a very long time. The way he runs the blue line on the power play, again people have been critical of it for a while. His deficiencies in his actual defensive game have been discussed for a long time too and also been stated as to why he’s so hard for his D pairing to play with.
So I have a theory about a lot of this, and I'm not replying at you, you just have the latest post on it.

I believe that josi still can be a fantastic offensive defenseman, but either by coaching or sheer "luck" this organization seems to suck the creativity out of our forwards. And yes, that's a running theme as well, but I think the byproduct of that is that the other teams can place more emphasis on defending josi (and our other defenders) because they don't need to worry much about our offensive acumen.


Case in point, when our forwards hustle to create space and take the puck behind the net, they virtually never create a shot on goal down low, or a direct wrap around on goal. Puck pretty much always drops back to the defense for a point shot. This was okay when the strategy was to run offense from d when we had Weber, but that's not josi's primary game.

Again, this is nothing new, but I do think many of the complaints about josi, while completely justifiable, stem from a lack of complimentary players in the offensive zone.

In the end, this is miserable. I just can't bring myself to root against us, but I know every decent shift just prolongs the torture that this management has forced on is.
 
I think part of Josi's problem is...

He is trying to carry the team instead of letting everyone do the job they were brought here to do. He goes out there and tries to hard to create offense and ends up as the shin-pad assassin instead of maybe making the safer/better play that isnt a shot attempt. That's part of why implied he was going after stat padding. The forwards need to do more
Part of that is a coaching problem though. The coaches need to be on him to make more deliberate plays or else he's not going to be out there 30+ minutes a game freelancing away.
 
Watching other teams around the league make moves like offer-sheeting Holloway during the summer (32 points in 43 games), trading Chychrun for a 2nd and a 3rd or acquiring Laine for peanuts makes me all the more believe that Trotz' creativity isn't enough to be a good GM. His creativity only extended to burning +100 mil in the FA market and acquiring has-been players.
 

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