The Nashville Predators already have one of the NHL’s best defensemen. Captain Roman Josi has consistently been among the league’s top blueliners for the better part of a decade. He’s put up strong offensive numbers while playing his position very well.
That combination of skills earned him a Norris Trophy, and one day, hopefully, a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
But at 36, Josi might be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. He’s in the seventh year of an eight-year deal. And when that deal expires, there may be questions about his future. It’s a pretty good bet that Josi won’t be retiring. But with his best days behind him, it might just be that the Predators will need to pass the torch.
That torch could go to 2025 first-round pick, Cameron Reid.
The 19-year-old Reid has culminated a successful Junior Hockey career with the Kitchener Rangers and is now ready to tackle the NCAA with Michigan.
That’s just a stepping stone to what he hopes to eventually become: His own version of Roman Josi. And if things work out for the Predators, Reid could very well take over as their team captain when the time comes.
As Marco D’Amico noted in a recent piece on Ratings, the Predators could have one of the best blueline prospects in the league.
“Josi has spent his career becoming the type of defenseman Reid hopes he can eventually develop into, capable of impacting the game with the puck while becoming much more than a one-dimensional offensive player.”
That’s a lofty comparison. But given the way Nashville has handled things, that trajectory may become very realistic for Reid and the team.
Predators Know What They Have in Reid
D’Amico caught up with Reid earlier this summer. In their conversation, the high-end prospect highlighted how the Predators have a good sense of what he brings to the ice.
“They know I’m a player who can play any role,” Reid said. “I can be a defensive guy or an offensive guy. My versatility is something I have a lot of confidence in.”
That sounds exactly like Roman Josi. And judging from the way things are going, the Predators may just be able to develop their next top-pairing defenseman in-house.
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Reid Has One Major Factor Going for Him
There’s one major factor going for Cameron Reid: Time. The Predators are in no rush to bring up their top defensive prospect into the NHL. That’s a good thing, especially since it seems that Roman Josi won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
That’s why Nashville has the luxury of allowing Reid to stretch his legs in the NCAA. Spending time in college could be a massive boost to Reid’s overall development. Instead of turning pro and playing in the AHL, Reid has a chance to develop another side of his game. While he’ll eventually get to the pros soon enough, the lack of urgency should favor Reid’s growth into the next Roman Josi.
Of course, there is only one Roman Josi. That’s why the Predators hope that the only Cameron Reid will be just as good, if not better.
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