Rangers fans cannot blame Jacob Trouba for using his contractual right to block trades

Jacob Trouba has become one of the Rangers fanbase's most significant stories. After using his modified no-trade clause to shoot down a trade to the Detroit Red Wings and rumors surfacing of him using it again to block a move to the Buffalo Sabres, the fanbase is growing unhappy with the captain. Chris Drury wants to move the contract out to open up space for other roster additions, but Trouba is happy in New York.

His wife is completing her residency at a hospital in the city and is eager to complete it. Something fans often neglect in their eagerness to move contracts is the effect it has on the families of the players, and that is a significant case here with Trouba. While he was not good enough in the postseason, and there is no denying that the $8 million against the cap the Rangers pay him would be better spent elsewhere, it creates issues for the players' families.

Trouba is also not doing anything he doesn't have a contractual right to do. He was given trade protection when he was signed after the acquisition from the Winnipeg Jets, and this is the summer when it drops from a full no-movement clause to a modified no-trade clause, where Trouba can only block moves to half of the league's teams. New York's eagerness to find a trade partner for the captain speaks to how much they want to move on from this contract.

While it is acceptable to be unhappy with the Rangers' inability to move the player because he is flexing his contractual right, this doesn't mean Trouba himself is doing anything wrong. He's not to blame for the Blueshirt's decision to give him this degree of trade protection. Knowing that there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes in terms of negotiations with teams the player would be willing to go to, but you cannot blame Trouba for wanting to stay in New York with his wife.