The 2024 NHL Free Agency period is underway, and the New York Rangers are right in the mix. The Rangers are fresh off a trade to land Pittsburgh Penguins winger Reilly Smith; however, veteran defenseman Jacob Trouba could be moved next. Trouba’s no-move clause update is further fueling his trade rumors.
Trouba’s no-move clause has shifted to a modified no-trade clause and his 15-team no-trade list has been submitted, Darren Dreger reports. It will be interesting to see how the move affects Trouba’s future with the team amid an eventful NHL free agency period.
In late June, the Rangers were rumored to taking an “aggressive” approach to the offseason, with one of their priorities being a Jacob Trouba trade, according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic.
“Scoop: The Rangers are exploring all of their options this summer as GM Chris Drury remains as aggressive as ever trying to get New York over the hump,” Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports. “One of those options is potentially moving his captain. Trouba also just happens to be dropping down from a full ‘no-movement’ clause to a 15-team ‘no-trade’ list starting on Monday. Trouba has positive trade equity, despite the cap hit, because the term is so short with two years remaining.”
“Teams crave his intensity, leadership, and physicality. Are the Detroit Red Wings, looking to upgrade their blueline, a viable option for the Michigan native? In addition to upgrades up front, the Rangers are also grinding on an extension for Ryan Lindgren, and his initial asks appear to be pretty reasonable,” Seravalli added.
Will Trouba’s no-trade update eventually get him to a desired landing spot?
Will Jacob Trouba’s time with the Rangers soon come to an end?
Trouba did not put up eye-popping stats during the 2023-24 season, but he still made an impact for New York. Through 69 games, he amassed three goals and 19 assists for 22 points. Then, he totaled one goal and six assists for seven points during the playoffs.
Trouba helped the Rangers have an admirable postseason run. New York battled through the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes to advance to the Conference Finals. Unfortunately, the Rangers lost 4-2 to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. New York hopes to make an improved run in 2024-25, but it is unclear if Jacob Trouba will be a part of it.
“The one thing I am reasonably certain of is that this whole situation that’s developed over the last week or two has been hard on Trouba. If you go back to when he left Winnipeg, both the Jets and the player were ready for a divorce. In this particular case, the Rangers may have decided, for cap reasons, that they have to do this,” Elliotte Friedman previously reported.
“But that doesn’t mean that Trouba is ready for this. There’s a lot here, and one of the things I think has really made this challenging is that Trouba has struggled with the idea that the Rangers might want to move on from him,” the NHL insider continued, via the 32 Thoughts Podcast.
Rangers fans will be on high alert as the team continues to navigate Jacob Trouba’s trade saga.
