Recently several readers have e-mailed me to inquire why I haven't commented on head shots resulting in concussion injuries to several NHL players early this season.

Over a month into the current NHL season we've seen Montreal's Andrei Kostitsyn, Carolina's Brandon Sutter and Toronto's Mike Van Ryn sidelined by concussions.

In those cases the players responsible for injuring those three (Phoenix's Kurt Sauer, NY Islanders' Doug Weight and Montreal's Tom Kostopoulos) didn't deliberately intended to do so but rather were trying to follow through with their checks, although in the latter case Kostopoulos did hit Van Ryn from behind.

Still, these instances highlight the fact that concussion injuries are showing no sign thus far of declining.

What these recent instances demonstrate is the difficulty that can be faced by the league in addressing injuries where there appeared to be no deliberate attempt to injure or no apparent breaking of the rules.

It's easy to call for discplinary action against an obvious head-hunter, but another to do so against a player who inadvertently injures an opponent.

It also highlighted how divided the NHL community appears to be on this issue of head shots.

Some believe that any head shot - intentional or not - should be called as a penalty, perhaps as at least an automatic game suspension with follow-up action depnding on the severity of the injury.

Others however suggest it would take hitting out of the game or at the very least hamper checking efforts.

Yes, hockey's a rough game and no one wants to be the physical side of the game diluted, but at the same time the increase in concussion injuries over the past fifteen years is troubling, which if left unchecked could have serious consequences for the NHL.

What is clear is that the longer this issue continues to go unaddressed the greater the likelihood of someone being crippled for life...or worse. It'll be far too late to address the problem then.

TSN.ca reports the rumored trade that would send Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Bryan McCabe to the Florida Panthers will be announced Tuesday (September 2) at 11 am ET.

The deal would see McCabe and an as-yet-unspecified draft pick shipped to the Panthers in exchange for defenseman Mike Van Ryn.

I’ll have further analysis on this deal once it is officially announced.

**UPDATE**

The trade has been made official, according to TSN.ca, and the draft pick from the Leafs is a four-rounder in 2010.

McCabe waived his no-movement clause to facilitate this trade. He had a home in Florida which obviously made going to the Panthers an easy decision for he and his family to make.

After two seasons under the harsh media spotlight in Toronto McCabe will find playing for the Panthers a refreshing change, where every mistake won't be scrutinized so intensely as it was with the Maple Leafs. That could be just what he needs to get his game back on track after struggling to meet lofty expectations that came with the signing two years ago of his current contract.

This move could also perhaps be incentive for Jay Bouwmeester to perhaps re-sign with the Panthers, or at least that might be what Panthers GM Jacques Martin will be counting on, using the McCabe acquisition as an example to Bouwmeester that the club is moving in a positive direction.

Failing that, McCabe will be seen as a potential replacement (albeit an older one who doesn't play as strong a defensive game) for Bouwmeester should the latter opt for unrestricted free agency next summer.

In Van Ryn the Leafs will get a good, albeit injury-plagued, affordable ($2.9 million per season for the next two seasons) defenseman, saving themselves nearly $3 million per season against their cap.

Should Van Ryn turn into a good acqusition for the Leafs he won't cost anywhere near as much as McCabe to retain after his current contract expires in 2010.