Gruesome Details Revealed on Jake Guentzel Pre-Trade Injury

The Jake Guentzel trade was the most impactful move at the deadline, and we're now learning that it happened despite the details of a gruesome-sounding injury that kept Guentzel out of the Pittsburgh lineup for weeks before the trade.

As reported by Michael Russo in The Athletic, the star forward's upper-body injury has now been described as follows:

In February, only a few weeks before the deadline, Guentzel broke some ribs and his oblique muscle ripped right off the bone.

Yikes. The long-time Penguins star missed 11 games before being dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes, who knew at that time that he was close to a full recovery. He sat out two contests with the Canes before joining their lineup. From there, he's been better than advertised, racking up eight goals and 17 assists for 25 total points in 17 games with Carolina, before adding another four points in their 5-game first-round victory over the New York Islanders.

Now, he's competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a true contender again. Guentzel will be an unrestricted free agent after this season is done, but he's giving every indication that he'd like to stay in Raleigh.

“Look at this place,” Guentzel said Thursday as he sat on the patio of a coffee shop in Raleigh after practice. “The weather’s great, the team’s great. I mean, great players, a great coach, and we play a style where there’s no ice, no room when you play us.

“The city’s great, the fans are amazing. This is a great hockey place. What’s not to like?”