According to Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger, the concussion that Roman Josi sustained in Friday night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche was the fifth the Nashville Predators defenseman has sustained since 2009.
The Predators confirmed the concussion following Sunday’s practice according to multiple reports.
Midway through the second period of the game played in Denver, Josi had the puck in the Nashville end when he was hit by Colorado forward Steve Downie. Downie appeared to contact Josi’s head, but the NHL concluded on Saturday that the hit was clean due to the fact that Downie’s skates were on the ice at the time of contact.
Concussions are often difficult to put a firm number on due to the fact that they are not always reported consistently.
In June, the Predators signed Josi to a seven-year, $28 million contract. A day after that deal was signed, Josi spoke to the media via conference call. On the call, he pointed to his injury history as one of the reasons he wanted to sign long-term.
“I really like it in Nashville and I really enjoyed my time the last two years playing for Nashville,” he said at the time. “As a hockey player you never know, and I have had some injuries in the past and you never know what happens. A long-term deal gives me a lot of security too.”
Since ascending to the role of Shea Weber’s partner on Nashville’s top defensive pairing, Josi has emerged as one of the game’s top young defensemen.
At last summer’s World Championships, Josi was voted the tournament’s most outstanding player in leading Switzerland to a surprising second place finish.
It is much too early to predict when Josi may return to the lineup. The minimum recovery time is one week, but depending on the severity of the injury, that time could stretch much longer.
