Addressing the rumors surrounding New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba

To trade or not to trade, that is the question surrounding Jacob Trouba, the captain of the New York Rangers. Trouba had the all-important “C” sewn onto his jersey ahead of the 2022-23 season when then-Head Coach Gerard Gallant was behind the bench.

There have been moments over the past two seasons in which Trouba has demonstrated that strong leadership ability, most infamously being the “helmet toss” in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks in December, 2022.

There is no denying Trouba’s willingness to address the team in moments of despair. The same goes for his calm disposition when addressing the media. The 6’3” blueliner plays a tough game - hits and blocking shots are indeed his specialties. This past regular season, Trouba finished the season with 183 blocked shots, 12th most in the NHL.

That sacrificial attitude takes its toll, reflective in the 13 games he missed due to injury. But issues unrelated to that rugged style of play involving his poor skating ability and at times porous decision making have made him a luxury the team may not be able to afford.

Trouba also had a rough postseason. He led the team with 11 minor penalties (no one else on the team had more than 6) and he was on the ice for 11 goals against at 5v5 during the playoffs, with only Artemi Panarin and K’Andre Miller (his defensive partner) on the ice for more.

Perhaps discussions involving the other two culprits in Panarin and Miller should be had, but Panarin’s offensive abilities make up for his defensive warts, while Miller makes significantly less than Trouba at a $3.872 million cap hit.

The club owns, at least at the time of this writing, approximately $13 million in cap space. That includes the $3.6 million lost when the team waived two time Stanley Cup Champion Barcaly Goodrow, who was subsequently claimed by his former team in San Jose.

And with Trouba, who carries a hefty $8 million cap hit over the course of the next two seasons, and a handful of roster spots to fill, it appears as though Trouba may be the odd man out.

What this means

Now let’s be perfectly clear: this is a preliminary move. Trouba’s contract moves from a full No Movement Clause (NMC) to a Modified No Trade Clause (M-NTC) that includes 15 teams once the calendar flips to July 1st.

The Rangers organization has every right to request that Trouba submit his list of teams he would not accept movement to. But something to keep in mind is that teams make these requests all the time. This is not a direct indication that he will be moved.

On a recent addition 32 Thoughts the Podcast, hockey insider Elliott Friedman had this to say regarding the Trouba situation:

“(New York Rangers General Manager) Chris Drury has shown this offseason, if he has to make a hard decision that is not popular, he will do it. And I think what that has done is definitely sent waves through the NHL that Jacob Trouba could be had”.

Trouba’s large cap hit will present difficulties in the process of moving the player. Any deal will likely involve either salary retention on the part of the Rangers or some significant salary coming back in the deal, assuming a team that isn’t on Trouba’s no-trade list doesn’t have ample cap space.

One team that could be interested in Trouba is the Detroit Red Wings. Trouba is a native of Michigan, and back when the Rangers captain was acquired from Winnipeg it was rumored that the Red Wings were one of the other clubs sniffing around. With Detroit collapsing at the end of this past regular season and looking to potentially bolster their blueline, would Trouba accept a deal back to the state where he grew up?

The Wings also have the cap space, sitting at around $32 million available this summer. Other teams that could be involved include Nashville ($26 million cap space) and Buffalo ($22 million in available space).  

But one thing is clear: Chris Drury has demonstrated that his patience has its limits. Barclay Goodrow was the first shoe to drop this offseason. Will Jacob Trouba be the next?

https://bluelinestation.com/posts/new-york-rangers-better-team-without-captain-jacob-trouba