After missing three straight games with an undisclosed injury, Rick Nash returned to the ice this morning as he participated in the morning skate. While he would not disclose what exactly was the reason for his absence, he did say that today was a step in the right direction.

Here's some more quotes from Nash, earlier this morning:

I feel good, it's getting better, it's a positive day, for sure. I don't know about tonight, but definitely a good day. It's a lot of different things. I've been banged up quite a bit, and obviously didn't feel like I could compete out there.

Again, Nash wouldn't specify what exactly the injuries were, but you can tell that he was beating around the bush. While it may not have been a concussion straight as many have thought, it was obviously enough for him and the team to keep a secret for this long. Nash did have some shoulder/groin issues prior to the lockout ending, so it wouldn't be surprising to hear that those were the issues he was dealing with.

Either way, all that matters now is that Nash is skating again, and is really close to returning to the lineup. While it may not be tonight at the earliest, Thursday's game against the Lightning isn't out of the question either.