Nathan Horton “Back to Square One”
Top-liner Nathan Horton’s recovery from a concussion suffered last month has taken a step back, Bruins coach Claude Julien said.
While the rest of the team had a “hard-working, fast-paced practice” today, according to Bruins beat writer and official Twitter contributor John Bishop, the absence of number 18 from the ice was notable. Julien took the time to explain why.
“He’s been pulled back,” he said to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. “He’s got some symptoms, so we’ve pulled him back. That’s why I said [earlier this week] that it’s hard for me to come out every day and say whether it’s a step forward or a step backwards. But he’s back to square one and we’re giving him some time here. Those symptoms, once he got on the ice, came back.”
Horton suffered this concussion during the Jan. 22 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. He was blindsided by the Flyers’ Tom Sestito, who received no supplementary discipline for the hit. While Horton got up and attempted to go after Sestito, he left that game early and has not played since then.
This is of course not Horton’s first time dealing with a head injury, which could very well affect the course of his recovery. During June’s Stanley Cup Finals, he took an open-ice hit from the Vancouver Canucks’ Aaron Rome in Game 3, a hit that ended the series early for him.
Conroy notes that, depending on how long it takes for Horton to recover, this could affect the way general manager Peter Chiarelli looks at moves he wants to make before the Feb. 27 trade deadline. The potential for a new defenseman has already been noted, but the team could be in the market for a new forward, and if Horton is out for a long time, the team may need a forward who can play in his place until he feels better. The Bruins don’t have a second- or fourth-round pick in the 2012 draft that they can offer as part of a trade, though.
We hope for a speedy recovery for Horton.
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