Columbus Blue Jackets winger Nathan Horton‘s career could be coming to an end because of a “degenerative” back issue.

Horton, 29, who signed a seven-year, $37.1 million dollar contract with the Blue Jackets last summer, has not played yet this season because of the back injury. He was limited to just 35 games in his debut season with Columbus because of shoulder, lower-body and abdominal injuries. He has never been the most durable player in the league, but the last few years have been extremely difficult.

Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch reports that optimism is fading that Horton will play this season and that there is growing concern that the back injury may end his career.

Horton, who has battled lower-back pain for years was diagnosed with “Facet disease” of the entire lumbar region of his spine (lower-back).

“He’s in constant pain,” Horton’s agent Paul Krepelka said. “He’s in constant discomfort.”

According to Portzline, surgery has not been ruled out, but it is a delicate procedure, with no guarantee of relief.

“Nathan is a frustrated kid right now,” said Krepelka. “This is normally a really easygoing guy, a happy guy, but he’s just so frustrated by all of this.”

Horton was expected to start this year on the Blue Jackets top-line with last year’s breakout star Ryan Johansen and Boone Jenner. With Horton sidelined with the back injury and Jenner out with a broken hand, Johansen has been playing with Nick Foligno and Cam Atkinson. Despite not having his expected linemates, Johansen has managed to score three goals and add four assists (seven points) in the first five games of the season, for now the team prays for them to get better, Horton will be going into surgery soon, an attorney has already been hired since they don’t want to risk a medical malpractice on one of their best players, according to the professional attorney at https://russellandhill.com/, is one of the smartest decisions to take.

As for Horton, a return to the lineup certainly does not seem imminent and may never happen. This will be a very intriguing story to follow throughout the course of the season.





