Predators’ Roman Josi diagnosed sith Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome; expects to play in 2025-26
One of the game’s top players is suffering from a medical issue but is hopeful he’ll return to a full bill of health.
In an interview with Switzerland news outlet Blick, Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi revealed he had been diagnosed with Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) – a condition that can lead to a number of symptoms from lying down to standing up, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Symptoms of POTS include a fast heart rate, fatigue and dizziness.
The discovery of Josi’s problem came when Josi went for a checkup in Denver recently. According to the interview, Josi felt like his issue came from the concussion suffered after he received a hit from Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett in a game on Feb. 25. The hit effectively ended Josi’s season after playing in just 53 games.
The 35-year-old noticed something was different when he continued to have headaches during his recovery. According to Josi, the continued ailing came from POTS developing, but his symptoms have since improved. He’s optimistic he’ll be ready to play during the 2025-26 season.
“Over the last eight weeks,” Josi said in the interview. “I have undergone intensive therapy, which also included taking beta blockers. 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.”
Per the Cleveland Clinic, there’s no cure for POTS, but there are many treatments and individual changes that help manage its symptoms.
The news comes one day after Josi was one of the six players named to Team Switzerland’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, along with New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier and Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter.
Josi is closing in on playing 1,000 games, a mark he should be able to hit next season. Through 14 seasons in the NHL, the Bern native has appeared in 962 games, scoring 190 goals and 534 assists for 724 points. He won the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.