Jeremy Lauzon had a strong 2023-24 season as the defender led the league in hits with 386 and was a part of a very good top-4 group on the Nashville Predators. He provided us with some insight into the top-4 this season including his defense partner Alexandre Carrier, newest defensive addition Brady Skjei, and captain/former Norris Trophy winner Roman Josi. Lauzon recalled his thoughts after Carrier signed back with Nashville for three years, saying "He's one of my best friends, so being able to play with him last year was great. We had great chemistry, so we really wanted to be together for a long time." Lauzon and Carrier led the Predators in time as a defensive pairing last season with 728 minutes at 5-on-5. The next closest was Roman Josi and Dante Fabbro at 604 minutes. Beyond what we saw on the ice with the chemistry between Lauzon and Carrier, their analytics as a pairing were also positive. Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon speaks to the media on day three of Nashville Predators training camp at Ford Ice Center Bellevue. While on the ice, the Predators had over 50% share in Corsi For %, Fenwick For %, Shots For %, Goals For %, and High Danger Chance For %. This was with starting over double the faceoffs in the defensive zone (114) than offensive zone (54). If there is one pairing that is going to be counted on again in the defensive zone or to shut down a top line, Lauzon and Carrier have proven they can handle it and free up Josi and Skjei for more offensive zone time. When asked about the big defensive free agent addition, Lauzon stated that "I loved it. I think that Brady (Skjei) is an awesome defenseman. He's great with the puck, without the puck, great skater, can score goals. So it's awesome to have him on the team." Skjei has to be one of the league's most underrated defensemen because of the lack of attention the Carolina Hurricanes typically get and how good the defensive group was as a whole. He has more offensive instincts than McDonagh, especially at this point in their careers and with how recent seasons have gone. The newest Predators defenseman scored 31 goals and 85 points over the last two seasons and has put up 38+ points in three consecutive seasons while blocking shots, hitting, and logging over 21 minutes per game. He is set for an increase in playing time as a top-2 d-man on the team now and he could really show what he can do alongside someone like Josi. Lauzon also made sure to note how talented Josi is, saying "I think it's a plus if a player can play both sides. I think Josi loves playing right. Offensively, he says he can create more...it's just a plus because there's a lot of players that don't like to play their off-side." This allows for Carrier and Lauzon to stay together as a second pairing while Skjei joins Josi on the first pairing. That is also why the Predators utilized Ryan McDonagh on the top pairing and pushed Josi over to the right more. Josi had another great offensive season playing the majority of his shifts on the right as a lefty. While on the ice with McDonagh at 5-on-5, the pairing contributed to 29 goals for and only 15 against (439 minutes). Over the past two seasons, Josi and McDonagh lead all Nashville pairings in time on ice together as well with nearly 1000 minutes. While Josi has been impressive offensively his entire career, it's still hard to argue that he didn't do just as well or better with 41 goals and 144 points in 149 games playing the majority of the last two seasons on the right side. The defense of the Predators will be overlooked aside from Josi to start, but they should quickly prove how formidable of a group they are, especially the top-4 this season. RECENT PREDATORS NEWS Kevin Lankinen's Mistake of Leaving the Nashville Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/kevin-lankinens-mistake-of-leaving-the-nashville-predators] Podcast: Nashville Predators Hockey is Back [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/podcasts/podcast-nashville-predators-hockey-is-back] Ozzy Wiesblatt's Goal is to Make the Nashville Predators & 'Nothing Short of That' [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/ozzy-wiesblatts-goal-is-to-make-the-nashville-predators-nothing-short-of-that]
