D Jacob Trouba
To conclude this list, let’s look at Jacob Trouba. In 38 games this past season, the 27-year-old defenseman scored two goals and recorded 12 points. Although it was not the best year offensively, he did show noticeable improvement from his first season with the Blueshirts. During that season, he had 27 points in 70 games, but was a -12. This year, he was far more dependable on the backend and looked like his former Winnipeg self.
Trouba has also become a very important leader on the blue line for the Rangers. Besides him and recently signed Patrik Nemeth, the team’s top-six is expected to all be 23 years old and younger. This is certainly the case if prospect Nils Lundkvist plays on the bottom-pair.
Trouba is not old by any means, as he is currently 27 years old, but he does come with an abundance of experience. In eight NHL seasons thus far between the Jets and Rangers, he has played in 516 games. During them, he had 51 goals, 167 assists and 218 points.
The primary reason why fans should keep a close eye on him is to see if he finds his offensive game more this season. In his final year with the Jets during the 2018-19 season, he scored eight goals and recorded 50 points in 82 games. Therefore, he is a player who can be a real threat on the backend when it comes to contributing. It is a big reason why the Rangers signed him to the seven-year, $56 million deal that off-season. Although he was a significant help this past season, he could be even more of impact if he finds his previous scoring touch.
With all of this said, the Rangers should be a lot of fun to watch this upcoming season. They have so many other players worth keeping an eye on, too. October cannot come soon enough. Who are you most excited to see play?