When Rick Nash was hit in the head by Brad Stuart of the San Jose Sharks – earning Stuart a 3-game suspension – the New York Rangers lost their best offensive player at a time when the team was in a early season tailspin.

But the bigger issue was Nash’s overall health. It’s his second concussion in two seasons with the Rangers. The style he plays portends there could be more.

Andrew Gross of the Bergen Record asks the question many have been pondering: What if the next concussion is the career-changer for Nash and the Rangers?

From Gross:

Nobody in or around the Rangers' organization is remotely hinting Nash's latest concussion is close to a [Michael] Sauer-like incident, a team spokesman saying only "no change" on Monday when asked for an update on Nash's condition. So there's not much for the Rangers to do but wait. And hope. Assuming Nash's health after this season, using the team's final compliance buyout on him makes little sense since, despite his $7.8 million annual salary cap hit, the cap recapture penalty in case he retires is only $200,000. Rather, the Rangers would have to put him on long-term injured reserve to avoid the cap hit.

Let’s hope Nash makes it back soon and doesn’t get Pronger’d.