Vincent Trocheck and the New York Rangers have had some rough on-ice luck entering play Friday. They were 1-6-0 before their game with the Pittsburgh Penguins. And they made a massive change that is sure to ripple through the locker room. Rangers captain Jacob Trouba was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday afternoon for Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
The Rangers are undefeated post-Trouba trade as they defeated the Penguins on Friday. Artemi Panarin scored twice and added an assist in a 4-2 win at Madison Square Garden. After the game, Trocheck addressed the media. And he captured the team’s overall vibe in the wake of their captain being traded out West.
“There’s a little bit more sense of togetherness. When something like this happens, you bind together, and you’ve got to get through these type of things together. So, definitely, before this game and through this morning, and throughout the day, we’re all trying to make sure that we’re staying tight,” the Rangers forward said, via USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano.
Jacob Trouba is well-loved in Rangers’ locker room
One thing became clear once reports emerged of a potential Jacob Trouba trade. Rangers players have an incredibly high opinion of their now-former captain. The veteran defenseman is well-loved in the locker room. And there is a sense that it hit the locker room pretty hard.
“I can’t say enough about Troubs and what he’s meant to this team and this locker room overall,” goalie Jonathan Quick said, via The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. “He’s a great person, great teammate, great captain. Wishing him the best with dealing with all this stuff.”
Veteran forward Mika Zibanejad echoed a similar sentiment. “As a player, as a teammate, as a friend, as a human being, obviously we love him to death.”
However, coach Peter Laviolette and general manager Chris Drury remained resolute in their decision-making. “We’re not playing well right now. When you’re not having the success you want on the ice, there has to be a direction that moves differently. So this is the decision I made,” Laviolette explained.
The Rangers added Urho Vaakanainen in the Trouba trade with the Ducks. Vaakanainen is a former first-round pick of the Boston Bruins from the 2017 NHL Draft. He appeared in five games for Anaheim before this deal. He should serve as defensive depth for New York while 22-year-old Victor Mancini receives an extended look in the lineup.
Rangers players certainly respect Trouba as a person and teammate. In the end, teams have to make tough decisions, and went full force in moving on from the Michigan native. It will certainly be interesting to see how things unfold for New York moving forward.
