What does Jacob Trouba's Departure Mean for Braden Schneider?

Jacob Trouba is officially an Anaheim Duck.

On Friday, Dec. 6 in the mid-afternoon, the New York Rangers announced they traded captain Trouba to the Ducks in exchange for Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round draft pick.

As we previously reported, Trouba played in 364 games as a New York Ranger, scoring 31 goals and 105 assists for 136 points. Trouba collected 329 penalty minutes as he tried to live up to a more physical role, but it became crystal clear he just wasn't living up to his contract.

"I want to sincerely thank Jacob for his contributions to the Rangers and our community. Jacob has been an example on and off the ice for our organization and played a major role in our success over the last several years," said New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury. "Since coming to New York five years ago, and serving as Captain for the last three season, he has demonstrated grit, toughness, and tremendous leadership and we can't thank Jacob enough for everything he has done for the Rangers."

However, Trouba made too much money for the Rangers to keep him around, so he's gone to Anaheim.

Now, just how does this effect the Blueshirts? And to be more specific, how does this impact defenseman Braden Schneider?

Schneider recently signed a two-year contract with the New York Rangers on July 13, 2024, coming off a season when he had 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 82 regular-season games and two assists in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Over the defenseman's time, he was paired with Trouba.

Schneider was one of the players who’s closest to Trouba. He even earned the nickname “Baby Trouba” from the team, as his play does resemble Trouba’s rugged style.

"“He’s an unbelievable dude. He’s the captain. I’ve looked up to him and I’ve tried to emulate my game after him. He’s been a huge help for me to grow here as a player.”"

Schneider after Dec. 6's Morning Skate

But even Schneider, as close as he was to Trouba, recognizes that this is a business, and that what’s most important is getting the Rangers back to their winning ways.

“We’re the Rangers, we’re here to win games,” Schneider said. “He’s a huge part of this team. It’s going to be a challenge, whatever it is, but we’re going to face it as a team and take it day by day.”

But one thing is clear, the New York Rangers are thankful for the time they had with Trouba. And, obviously, so is Schneider. We can rest easy knowing it'll be interesting to see the former pairing face off against each other later on.