Vincent Trocheck's Month-Long Absence Wasn't an Injury at All, It Was Something Way Scarier
Vincent Trocheck just revealed what actually sidelined him early in the Rangers' season, and it's way more serious than the upper-body injury label the team put out there. The guy had a viral bacterial infection in one of his lungs. Yeah, you read that right.
It started feeling like back spasms, but then things got really bad. During a game on October 9 against Buffalo, Trocheck took a cross check to the area and something shifted. "Whatever fluid was in there, it's like bubbles, and I guess the bubble burst and it spread, so then it just got a lot worse," Trocheck explained on Friday. He ended up with so much fluid around his lung that he needed surgery to have it removed. Chest tubes, the whole deal. He was hospitalized for about a week.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at Kalshi"It was very scary," Trocheck said. "I thought I was dying."
A Month Gone, Season Impact Clear
Trocheck missed roughly a month before returning on November 10. Once he came back, he showed up for 65 of the remaining 66 games, which included helping the U.S. win gold at the Olympics. But here's the thing: that early absence? It mattered. Coach Mike Sullivan didn't shy away from it.
"It didn't help," Sullivan said. "Every team has to endure injuries. We're no different in that regard. What I'll tell you is that some injuries are easier to endure than others, and we had some key ones at certain times in the season that made it tough. Troch is obviously a really good player, an important element of this team."
The only other game Trocheck missed after his return was a healthy scratch right before the trade deadline in March. He stuck around and didn't get moved, but at nearly 33 years old, he knows the offseason could bring change.
Ready for Whatever Comes Next
"Now if something does happen this summer, at least we have time to figure some stuff out," Trocheck said. "I've played in the NHL for 13 years. I know what this is like. I know the feeling. It doesn't bother me."
Rangers forward Matt Rempe, sidelined since February with a second surgery on his left thumb, expects to be healthy by training camp in September. Swedish forward Adam Edstrom also revealed he battled a fractured ankle that he initially played through for almost six weeks before surgery in December.
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