Photo: USA Today
The New York Rangers traded captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks just hours before their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden on Friday (7:30 PM ET, ESPN+, Hulu) in exchange for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick (lower of Anaheim or Detroit Red Wings’). The Rangers, who have lost six of their last seven games in regulation, freed up $6.9 million in salary cap space and currently have $5.9 million available.
The 30-year-old, who has six assists, a -3 rating, .4535 five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, .4745 five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and .4418 five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage in 24 games this season, has two seasons left on a contract that counts $8 million against the salary cap.
Jacob Trouba, acquired by ANA, is a physical defenceman. Increasingly reckless hit-hunting plus poor mobility have been an issue, as have turnovers in transition. Willingness to jump up in the play + d-zone physical presence are strengths. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/qCHyPFRB1a
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) December 6, 2024
In 772 career regular-season games with New York and the Winnipeg Jets, Trouba, who ranks third among Rangers defenseman this season with an average of 20:00 per game and first with an average of 3:03 while shorthanded, has 73 goals, 315 points, and a +53 rating. He also has four goals and 19 points in 73 postseason games.
Trouba won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award last season, when his team won the Presidents’ Trophy as the best regular-season squad and came two wins shy of the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in three seasons.
In the midst of their current slide, the Rangers are reportedly looking to shake up their roster with left-wing Chris Kreider also on the trade block. The team was preparing to place Trouba on waivers on Friday if they could not find a trade partner for him.
New York, who ranks ninth in the NHL with an average of 2.92 goals-against per game and second with an .857 penalty-killing rate, enters Friday game eight points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for third place in the Metropolitan Division and tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with two games in hand on both teams.
Vaakanainen has appeared in just five of Anaheim’s 24 games to date.
By Harrison Brown
