Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi suffered an upper-body injury and won’t return after a questionable hit by Colorado Avalanche winger Steve Downie, the Tennessean’s Josh Cooper reports.
Possibility of suspension will lurk for Steve Downie after hit on Josi that knocked him out of game
— adater (@adater) October 5, 2013
Some believe that Josi might have suffered a concussion (common upper-body speak).
If so, it’s a rough blow for the Preds. They’ve been getting hit hard with injuries so far, but mainly among their forwards. He might not be a household name, but the 23-year-old defenseman is a big piece for Nashville; they handed him a seven-year contract that’s comparable to the one Los Angeles signed with Slava Voynov.
Downie received three penalties already tonight, two of which were for charging. The Avalanche would lose out significantly if he misses time, too, as he was getting some shifts alongside Matt Duchene.