Already dealing with a handful of injuries heading into the playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers might also have a suspension on the way as well.

According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, defenceman Darnell Nurse is expected to have a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for the cross-check he threw to the head of Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield on Monday.

The play came with just over five minutes to play in the second period of what wound up being a 5-0 win for the Kings in Edmonton. With the Oilers losing 4-0 and Byfield challenging beside the net for a rebound, Nurse dragged the young forward to the ice and pounded down on his head.

Nurse was issued a five-minute major for cross-checking and was kicked out of the game with a 10-minute misconduct.

With just one game remaining in Edmonton’s regular season schedule, the Oilers may be without Nurse when they play Game 1 of their first-round playoff series with the Kings later this week. Nurse has a history with the Department of Player Safety and Byfield was defenceless on the play, so he could land a multi-game suspension.

Nurse has been suspended multiple times during his NHL career, including a headbutting incident against Los Angeles in the playoffs in 2022, and was handed a maximum fine by the DoPS in October of 2022 for interference against the Vancouver Canucks.

The cross-check from Nurse was among a few plays by the Oilers that frustrated the Kings, as centre Phillip Danault said during the second intermission “I think they just have their B squad in trying to hurt us.”

The Kings clinched second place in the Pacific Division with their win in Edmonton on Monday, so they’ll host the Oilers in the first round of the playoffs this spring. It’ll be the fourth year in a row the two teams have met in the first round and the first time Los Angeles has been the home team.