New York Rangers Might Have to Manage Life Without Rick Nash

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

There are no shortage of topics of conversation in Rangerland these days. Between their shaky start to the season and injuries, New York Rangers haven’t had the most enjoyable beginning to their 2013-14 NHL season.

Among the list of injured players is Rick Nash. Nash suffered a huge hit to the head in the first period of Tuesday night’s loss to San Jose Sharks. Sharks defenseman Brad Stuart hit Nash along the boards and made clean contact to the head with a spearing shoulder. Nash looked a little dazed as he skated over to the bench but finished the rest of the period before being removed for the last two periods due to safety reasons.

Last season, Nash missed several games due to a hit to the head from Boston Bruins‘ Milan Lucic. Nash suffered a concussion which is why the Rangers are taking all necessary precautions this time around. It would be better to let Nash get rest and feel 100 percent before he gets back on the ice as opposed to rushing him back too soon.

Unfortunately for the Rangers they do not have the luxury of a team competing at a high level. Although only three games into the season, the Rangers have struggled to get the offense going and their defense has been picked apart in a surgical fashion. Everyone will need to step up their games regardless of whether Nash misses time or not, but should he miss several games it puts that much more importance on the defense playing better and the forwards stepping up their game.

This injury could linger for Nash, as head injuries tend to do. All the Rangers and their fans can do now is wait and hope that the star forward’s injury isn’t as serious as it could be. Either way, Nash is too important to this team’s success and it would be better to lose him now than to lose him down the line this season. Letting him rest is the right decision.

Martin Burns covers New York Rangers hockey for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter for more thoughts and news on the Blueshirts as well as the rest of the NHL!