Josi, Saros Up for Top NHL Awards on Tuesday Evening

The Nashville Predators 2021-22 campaign saw career performances from a number of players, and on Tuesday evening, two of them could receive the hardware to prove it. 

Predators Captain Roman Josi (Ted Lindsay Award and Norris Trophy) and goaltender Juuse Saros (Vezina Trophy) will be in Tampa tomorrow as finalists for their respective awards. 

While there’s admittedly stiff competition in each of the three categories, there are plenty of reasons why Josi and Saros could return to Smashville with more luggage than they left with.

Roman Josi: Ted Lindsay AwardAwarded annually to the “most outstanding player in the NHL” as voted by fellow members of the National Hockey League Players’ Association 

Is Roman Josi the most outstanding player in the National Hockey League? You could certainly argue it. 

The Nashville captain’s 2021-22 season was nothing short of remarkable, with the Swiss blueliner setting franchise single-season records for points (96) and assists (73), as well as all-time franchise records for assists (402) and shots (2,153). 

Josi also led the League’s blueliners in assists (73), shots (281), even-strength points (59), power play goals (11), points per game (1.2), multi-point games (26) and primary assists (36). 

But Josi’s value doesn’t just live on the scoresheet. 

As the saying goes, when the captain gets going, the team follows suit. 

The Predators 2021-22 season saw record-breaking performances from Matt Duchene, Filip Forsberg and rookie Tanner Jeannot, as well as an eighth consecutive playoff berth, and it isn’t out of the question to assign a good bit of credit to Josi’s leadership on the ice and in the locker room. 

If he wins, Josi would join Bobby Orr as just the second defenseman in League history to receive the prestigious award. 

This is Josi’s first Ted Lindsay Award nomination and the first nomination for a Nashville Predators player. He joins finalists Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers.

Video: Top 10 Roman Josi Goals of the 2021-22 Season

Roman Josi: James Norris Memorial Trophy Awarded annually to the NHL defenseman “who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position”

If Josi isn’t the most outstanding player in the National Hockey League, he’s without question its best defenseman. 

In 2021-22, Nashville’s captain breezed past the numbers that earned him his first Norris Trophy back in 2020, becoming the NHL’s highest-scoring defenseman in 29 years, with 23 goals, 73 assists and 96 points in just 80 games.

Only six defensemen in the past 50 years have surpassed Josi’s 96 points in a single season: Paul Coffey, Phil Housley, Brian Leetch, Al MacInnis, Bobby Orr and Denis Potvin.Josi set career highs in goals, assists and points, broke the single-season Nashville franchise records among all positions for points and assists, recorded the most assists by any NHL defenseman since Sergei Zubov’s 77 in 1993-94 and led all blueliners with 26 multi-point games.

His 281 shots on goal were 41 more than the second-ranked defenseman in 2021-22 and his 59 even-strength points were the most since Ray Bourque’s 59 in 1986-87.

Josi led all NHL defensemen in the percentage of his team’s goals he scored or assisted on at 36.6 percent, a mark that stands as the third-highest total by a defenseman in NHL history and the highest since Bobby Orr in 1974-75 (39.1 percent).

Josi also factored in on 13.2 percent of Nashville’s total points, the fifth-highest total by a defenseman since 1938-39. The only blueliners in NHL history to record a higher percentage of his team’s points in a season are Bobby Orr, who did so three times (last: 1974-75, 15.1 percent), and Erik Karlsson (2015-16, 13.9 percent).

This is Josi’s second nomination for the Norris Trophy. He joins finalists Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning – both of whom are currently competing in the Stanley Cup Final. 

Video: Top 10 Juuse Saros Saves of 2021-22

Juuse Saros: Vezina TrophyAwarded annually “to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at this position”

Everyone knew Juuse Saros would have big shoes to fill in 2021-22. 

In his first season as the Predators primary starting goaltender, Saros would be taking the reins from Pekka Rinne, the winningest Finnish-born goaltender in League history, franchise leader in all-time leader in wins (369) and shutouts (60), four-time NHL All-Star and former Vezina Trophy winner. 

Needless to say, Saros began the 2021-22 campaign with a tall task in front of him. 

What possibly no one could have seen coming: a 67-game campaign that saw the Finnish-born netminder record 38 wins, a 2.54 goals against average and a .920 save percentage – not to mention a trip to the 2022 NHL All-Star Game and a spot in Vezina Trophy contention.

Saros also led the League’s goaltenders in starts (67), minutes played (3,931:23) and percentage of total team wins (84.4 percent). 

While an injury prevented him from making an appearance in the postseason, Saros’ steady presence between the pipes certainly contributed in sending Nashville there for the eighth consecutive season.

Saros joins finalists Jacob Markstrom of the Calgary Flames and Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers. The nomination is the first of Saros’ career. 

The 2022 NHL Awards will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+ at 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday. Fans can also follow complete coverage on the NHL Network, NHL.com and NHL social media channels using the official hashtag #NHLAwards.