Nick Cousins ​​has set his lunch, wrapped in a Styrofoam container, on a table. More pressing issues required the attention of the Nashville Predators forward late Thursday morning.

He removed the two baseball caps from his head and thought, “Which one should I wear?”

He eventually opted for a brand new Predators hat, over the one he slipped on teammate Ryan Johansen, and settled into a chair. The hat, he said as he removed the tags, was intended for the team’s next road trip this weekend to Winnipeg and Minnesota for a back-to-back Saturday and Sunday.

It will be a perfect match for the costume he plans to wear – the tracksuit, that is – on the team’s plane.

After visiting the same cities over and over again last season due to the COVID-19-induced condensed schedule that saw them play only against teams from a realigned Central Division, and after being mostly confined to the dining rooms of the hotels, the Predators’ first trip this season brings with it some anticipation.

“The guys are a little excited about hitting the road, having dinner together, getting to know each other a bit,” Cousins ​​said.

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Last season, and in the playoff bubble the previous summer, players spent more time together than usual. They played cards. They exchanged beards. They hung around.

But they were, for the most part, inside looking out.

“Lots of free time,” Cousins ​​said. “It was just the ice rink, then the house, then the hotel … Just to see all the towns again … spending time with each other on the road and having dinner together is a lot for you – ice chemistry. When you get to know your teammates off the ice, it will certainly be much more welcome this year. “

Predators coach John Hynes said the team tried to take advantage of being so locked together last season. There were team dinners with 100% attendance. There were informal conversations in the hotel lounges that otherwise would not have taken place.

There was also cabin fever.

“Part of the road is it’s good when you can go out for dinner or take a walk or you have a day off on the road so guys can see some special things that are in a particular city.” , did he declare. “You can get away from the game a bit.”

This weekend will be the first two of 41 such opportunities.

Cousins ​​has already chosen a successful outfit for the first one.

Contact Paul Skrbina at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @PaulSkrbina.