Rangers' Nash admits to feeling uneasy with physical play in return from concussion

Rick Nash isn't ashamed to admit he wasn't the same player when he returned to the New York Rangers' lineup last season. 

A second concussion in less than 10 months reduced Nash's imposing 6-foot-4 frame, and, like many head injuries, the effect on the hulking forward was as psychological as it was physical. 

"Coming back from the concussion, it was tough for me to feel comfortable on the physical side of it," Nash told Larry Brooks of the New York Post. "You can say maybe I was a little ‘careful,’ but it wasn't as much being ‘careful’ as just not being comfortable in certain situations."

Nash explained that it's natural for an athlete to feel uneasy coming back from injury - no matter which soft tissue is damaged.

"When you come back from a knee injury, you might not be immediately comfortable on crossovers, or if you have a groin pull, you can’t shift on the edge to gain speed when you come back. You don’t feel comfortable doing those things that always come naturally.

"Coming back from a concussion, you want to get hit and prove to yourself that you can handle everything of that nature, but that’s hard to do in practices. It was different for me."

Nash's statistics last season are consistent with his candor. He recorded just 11 hits in 65 games.