The Nashville Predators saw star defenseman Roman Josi play just 53 games during the 2024-25 season due to injury. Josi was knocked out of action in a February 25 game against the Florida Panthers when Panthers center Sam Bennett drove the Swiss blueliner’s head into the glass behind Nashville’s net.
According to Josi, in an interview with Swiss news outlet Blick, the Bennett hit left him with a concussion and led to his recent diagnosis of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Josi received the POTS diagnosis after going in for a concussion-related checkup in Denver.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) defines POTS as part of a group of disorders that feature “orthostatic intolerance,” which, in layman’s terms, refers to symptoms that occur when a person stands up and can be relieved by lying down.
Symptoms of orthostatic intolerance, including dizziness or fainting, are triggered because not enough blood flows back to the heart when a person moves from a lying-down or seated position to an upright position.
Other symptoms, per NINDS, may include a rapid heartbeat, fatigue, headaches, vision problems, leg weakness, chest pain or other discomfort, sleep disturbances, digestive issues, shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating, and reduced exercise tolerance.
Josi says his symptoms have recently improved after receiving his diagnosis and being put on a treatment plan by his doctors. He plans on being ready to play for the Predators next season and the Swiss national team during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
“Over the last eight weeks, I have undergone intensive therapy, which also included taking beta blockers,” Josi told Blick, as translated via Google Translate. “I’ve been feeling much better since then. I’ve regained the belief that I’ll be 100 percent fit again and can fully attack with Nashville and the Swiss national team next winter.”
Josi, 35, recorded just 38 points (9g, 29a) last season after posting 85 points (23g, 62a) in 82 games during the 2023-24 campaign. The four-time NHL All-Star was the recipient of the 2020 Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman.
