The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has suspended Toronto’s Nazem Kadri four games for his elbow to the head of Edmonton’s Matt Fraser on Monday.
The play in question:
Kadri received an illegal check to the head minor for the hit. Fraser left the contest and didn’t return, and has since been diagnosed with a concussion.
This marks the second time Kadri’s been suspended in two years -- in November of 2013, he was given a three-game ban for bowling over Minnesota goalie Niklas Backstrom. It also marks the second time in as many weeks that he’s been suspended; the 24-year-old was parked for three games by head coach Peter Horachek and president Brendan Shanahan for behavioral issues, and only returned to the Leafs lineup on Saturday.
With this latest suspension, Kadri will miss Toronto’s next four games -- Thursday versus San Jose, Saturday in Ottawa, Monday versus Minnesota and Thursday versus Florida -- and will be eligible to return on Saturday, Mar. 28 for a rematch against the Sens.
Kadri will also forfeit $141,463.41 in salary to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.