Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse will be out for five to 10 days after taking a hit to the head from Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves over the weekend.
“Obviously there was a big scare there … since then, he’s progressed really well, he’s doing as good as he can,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said on Monday.
Reaves hit Nurse with his shoulder while Nurse was trying to skate out from behind the net during the second period of the Leafs’ 4-3 overtime win over the Oilers on Saturday. Nurse was bleeding after the hit and didn’t return to the game.
Reaves was given a five-minute major penalty for an illegal check to the head and a game misconduct. On Sunday, the NHL suspended him for five games.
Nurse, 29, has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 18 games this season.
In his 11th NHL season, all with the Oilers, Nurse has 276 points (78 goals, 198 assists) and a plus-69 rating. The Oilers drafted him No. 7 overall in the 2013 draft.
