Nathan Horton, who signed a six-year, $37.1 million contract with the Blue Jackets in 2013, hasn't played this season. The Columbus Dispatch reported last week that the 29-year-old has been diagnosed with “degeneration” of the entire lumbar region of his spine.

BOSTON — Chris Kelly had a hard time just walking around in the weeks after he suffered a herniated disc in his back April 8. The pain went down a nerve through his leg.

Kelly was lucky. He had surgery May 23. His pain was immediately resolved. There were still a couple months where he was limited physically — he couldn't pick up his children — but it got better.

“As bad as it is, it gets to the point where hockey is not on your mind,” the Bruins' third-line forward said. “It's day to day things — walking, sleeping, having fun with your kids, even that becomes difficult.”

It appears that former Bruin Nathan Horton is not as lucky with his back pain. Horton, who signed a six-year, $37.1 million contract with the Blue Jackets in 2013, hasn't played this season. The Columbus Dispatch reported last week that the 29-year-old has been diagnosed with “degeneration” of the entire lumbar region of his spine.

It's possible Horton has played his final game in the NHL. Horton’s quality-of-life concerns may trump his desire to return to the ice.

Horton's injury problems began with his three years in Boston. Horton had a sore lower back for essentially his entire Bruins tenure, in addition to two concussions and a painful shoulder injury he played through in the 2013 playoffs that required offseason surgery.

Still, Horton was a productive player, and a clutch one. He had 36 points in 43 playoff games over two runs to the Stanley Cup Final. The Bruins wanted to bring him back when his contract expired, but Horton wanted a fresh start and signed in Columbus.

He's played just 36 games for the Jackets, with five goals and 14 assists.

“I saw Nathan play through a lot of injuries,” Kelly said. “That's what made him so special, especially with our group. I think every guy in our locker room will have great things to say about Nathan. He always had a smile on his face, he worked hard, he played through injuries.

“He's a big reason why a lot of us have a Stanley Cup ring, because he was willing to play through injuries and be one of our best players at the most important time.”

Settling in

After beginning the season by juggling lines nearly every game, the Bruins have used the same forward lineup seven of the past eight games. That includes right wings Seth Griffith and Simon Gagne on the first and fourth lines, respectively.

“We’ve got, more or less, what we’re looking for right now,” coach Claude Julien said. “It’s up to the guys to continue to play the way they have been in order to keep them that way.” …

Matt Fraser was a healthy scratch for the fourth straight game. …

The Bruins practice Wednesday in Wilmington before going to Buffalo. …

Tuesday was ‘Hockey Fights Cancer Night’ at TD Garden. Coaches and management wore purple, and the players wore purple warm-ups jerseys and used purple tape on their sticks.

Dan Cagen can be reached at 508-626-3848 or dcagen@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanCagen.