When Jacob Trouba was named captain of the New York Rangers, no one was questioning that he had leadership capabilities. Trouba has been a great leader since coming to the Rangers, however, his on-ice play has left something to be desired. If Trouba wants more of the fanbase to accept him as captain, he needs to improve his on-ice play.
Since becoming a Ranger during the 2019 offseason and signing an eight-year, $56 million dollar contract, Trouba has been one of the most criticized players on the team. This is due to the fact that he is the second highest-paid defenseman on the team and he does not play like it the majority of the time.
Trouba’s major issue is his lack of speed. Many times this season and his past few seasons, he has tried to jump up in the rush, and when the puck goes the other way, he is not able to catch up. He is one of the slowest players on the team and his speed has not improved since he got to New York. I am not sure what he does during his training that can help improve his speed, but if he can get a little bit faster, he will become a better player.
Another critique that Trouba is known for is his shooting. Whenever he gets the puck, it is almost certain that he will shoot it wide. If he can get the puck on the net more, it will create more scoring chances for the team. Trouba leads the NHL this season in shots taken without having a goal with 52 shots.
This season, the pairing of Trouba with K’Andre Miller has not been very good. They have been on the ice for many goals against have not looked solid like they did last season. If they can get back to playing simple hockey and calming things down, it will help the overall defense of the team.
Jacob Trouba is a great leader and was probably the best choice to be the Rangers captain. If he can make some improvements in his on-ice game, he will become a more accepted captain by the fans and the fans will have less to hate about Trouba which will lead to a more positive outlook.