Defensive depth still a part Predators identity
Adam Wilsby and the Preds young blue line is seizing the opportunity in elevated ice time.
It’s not easy to replace Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi on the blue line.
For the last three games, he’s been out with a lower-body injury. Jeremy Lauzon has missed the last ten games and Alexandre Carrier missed the last four games before being dealt to the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.
Defensemen Nick Blankenburg, Adam Wilsby, Kevin Gravel and Marc Del Gaizo* have been forced to play larger roles.
Presumably, so will 23-year-old 2020 first round pick Justin Barron — who the Nashville Predators acquired from Montreal in a trade for Carrier. *Del Gaizo was placed on waivers on Wednesday.
In the last 10 games, Blankenburg and Wilsby have done an exceptional job at maintaining the Predators’ identity on the back end as they made their respective debuts.
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