Oilers' Darnell Nurse Leaves Game in Brutal Shape After Horrible Hit From Ryan Reaves

Leafs forward Ryan Reaves was coming in hard on the forecheck while Nurse retrieved a puck in the Oilers corner. Reaves followed through with a brutal hit to the head of Darnell Nurse, who hit the ice hard and began leaking from his head.

After the referees reviewed the hit, Reaves was ejected assessed a major penalty. Reaves will almost certainly be suspended for this hit, and it should be a long sentence. Oilers teammates on the bench were visibly shaken up by the injury, clearing just hoping the best for Nurse. The Oilers later confirmed that Nurse would not return to the game.

The most concerning part of the play for the Oilers was seeing Nurse grab his head and struggle to get up afterwards. Nurse's head hit the ice with serious force, and his visor cut his face. Nurse was wobbling while trying to get up, a very concerning sign for a concussion injury.

Nurse left the game immediately for repairs, but it feels incredibly unlikely that he'll be able to return to the game. Concussion spotters seeing a player wobble after a major hit usually means they'll be pulled for the night. Hopefully, Nurse can avoid the worst for a more serious injury.

The Edmonton Oilers are already struggling with defensive depth, and although fans may not be too fond of Nurse, losing a defender who plays over 20 minutes a game will be a major loss. Oilers fans will be hoping the best for Nurse's diagnosis. Hopefully, fans will get an update after tonight's game.