Winnipeg Jets winger Patrik Laine diagnosed with concussion

 After taking a brutal hit on Saturday, Winnipeg jets’ rookie winger Patrik Laine could be out for awhile.

Saturday’s game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Winnipeg Jets became filled with tension and fights after Sabres defenseman Jack McCabe leveled Jets’ rookie forward Patrik Laine with a brutal open-ice hit. The Jets lost the game 4-3, and it was not too surprising that Laine was not on the ice for Winnipeg’s practice Sunday morning. You can see the hit on Laine, and the subsequent line brawl here.

After that practice session, Jets’ head coach Paul Maurice had a more definite update on Laine’s health.

There is no timetable for Laine’s return right now, which is to be expected with the uncertainty of a head injury. The second overall pick in the 2016 draft leads all rookies with 37 points this season, through 42 games, and he is tied with Auston Matthews for the rookie lead and third overall in the league with 21 goals.

The Jets (19-20-3-41 points) are in the mix for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, as they currently sit just three points behind the No. 8 seed Los Angeles Kings. Losing Laine for any length of time is not ideal, and Winnipeg starts a stretch of five games in eight days Monday night against the Calgary Flames. That upcoming slate is highlighted by a Jan. 14 road game against the aforementioned Kings, which should be a game the Jets eye as something of a must-win.

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Day-to-day is an optimistic diagnosis for Laine, with a wide range of possible outcomes.The typical, ambiguous NHL diagnosis of an “upper body injury” when injuries above the waist happen doesn’t apply here, with video readily available of the hit levied on Laine, and the Jets deserve credit for not hiding behind it.