NASHVILLE — Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi is expected at training camp in September after the team said Wednesday the 35-year-old defenseman was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome late last season.
POTS doesn’t have a cure but can be treated. The symptoms include a fast heart rate, dizziness and fatigue.
“He has been undergoing treatment since that diagnosis and is progressing exceptionally well,” general manager Barry Trotz said in a released statement. “We concur with Roman that with continued management and treatment, he can return to the ice for the 2025-26 season and continue with his elite hockey career.”
The 2020 winner of the Norris Trophy, which is given annually to the top defensive player in the league, and a three-time NHL All-Star, Josi was limited to 53 games during the 2024-25 season due to a concussion. His last game was against the Florida Panthers — who on Tuesday night repeated as Stanley Cup champions — in Nashville on Feb. 25, when he didn’t return after being driven hard into the end boards by Sam Bennett midway through the second period.
Josi was among the first six players selected Monday to Switzerland’s Olympic roster for the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. In 2019, he signed an eight-year $72 million contract to remain in Nashville through the 2027-28 season. He has played 962 games with 190 goals and 534 assists.
In other roster news, the Predators announced they have acquired 34-year-old forward Erik Haula from the New Jersey Devils for defenseman Jeremy Hanzel and a fourth-round pick in next week’s draft.
This brings Haula back for a second stint in Nashville, with the first during the 2020-21 season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Drafted by the Minnesota Wild with a seventh-round pick in 2009, Haula has played 759 NHL games. In addition to Minnesota, Nashville and New Jersey, he has spent time with the Panthers, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights.
Haula played 69 games for the Devils this past season with 21 points and 39 penalty minutes. The 5-foot-11, 191-pounder averaged 14:42 of ice time per game. He also had 101 hits and blocked 35 shots.
The Predators still have nine selections in the 2025 NHL draft that starts June 27, including three in the first round.