from Arthur Staple of The Athletic,

Jacob Trouba has left a lot of soreness in his wake this postseason.

Angry Penguins and Hurricanes fans.

Sidney Crosby missing a game and a half after what was deemed an accidental high hit in Game 5 of the opening round, changing the course of that series.

Hurricanes rookie Seth Jarvis saying he was still “in a fog” Thursday at Carolina’s breakup day, three days after Trouba threw what was also deemed a legal hit — but one that left Jarvis concussed and, in the immediate aftermath, left the Hurricanes on a penalty kill in Game 7 when they took a too-many-men minor as Jarvis tried woozily to crawl to the bench.

Much of this hasn’t gone over very well in the 2020s NHL, where we have to reconcile increased attention on the long-term effects of head injuries with a sport that is still physical and can legally still be violent, especially in pursuit of a Stanley Cup. But as Trouba rides the edge of how much damage the league allows a player to inflict, he’s also drawn the admiration of a couple of the biggest hitters of the 1990s and 2000s.

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