The New York Rangers have to shed some salary cap space to get their team over the hump from the Eastern Conference Final to the Stanley Cup Final and it is their captain, Jacob Trouba, that has become the logical target.
The 30-year-old blueliner, who has two years left on his deal at $8 million AAV, has seen his name at the thick of the NHL trade rumor mill after a disappointing season in which he underperformed significantly for a player making that kind of salary.
Trouba posted just 22 points in 69 games and was suspended for two games in January for elbowing Vegas Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault. Such actions have become commonplace in Trouba’s game as he often toes the line of legality with his physicality.
Rangers general manager Chris Drury’s ability to move Trouba becomes a lot easier on Monday when his contract shifts from a complete no-move clause to a partial no-move list, which features 15 teams.
In the meanwhile, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported this weekend that the Rangers are working on a deal to send the Michigan native back home to the Detroit Red Wings, but would have to retain $2.5 million of his salary to get it done.
This is a development that has seemingly blindsided Trouba, at least according to a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
“One of the challenges is that Trouba was shocked by the possibility he could be traded, and is still coming to grips with it,” he wrote.
Trouba has spent the past five seasons with the Rangers and was named captain ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. He was the first Blueshirt to wear the captain’s “C” since 2017-18 — Ryan McDonagh’s final season with the organization.
