3:34 PM: The Ducks organization has made the deal official through a team announcement.
1:28 PM: According to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, the New York Rangers are working on a trade that would send Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks. Staple’s report comes shortly after TSN’s Pierre LeBrun indicated that Anaheim had quickly become the front-runner in acquiring Trouba’s services. ESPN reporter Emily Kaplan shares that Anaheim will send depth defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a draft pick to the Rangers, completing the trade.
This brings an end to a tumultuous saga for Trouba in New York. The oft-mentioned trade candidate had been in the rumor mill for a year as he was reportedly nearly dealt to the Detroit Red Wings this past offseason before using his modified no-trade clause to nix the deal. It wouldn’t be the last time either as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports Trouba also used his trade protection earlier today to prohibit a move to the Columbus Blue Jackets organization.
The former ninth-overall selection of the 2012 NHL Draft will now join the third organization of his 12-year career, albeit in a different environment. Trouba is only a year removed from captaining the Rangers to President’s Trophy honors during the 2023-24 NHL season but will now join a team that hasn’t qualified for the playoffs since the 2017-18 season and is sitting 29th in league standings. In the end, it was his choice, as Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff reported Trouba waived his no-trade clause to facilitate a deal with the Ducks.
He’s certainly fallen off in recent seasons which surely influenced New York’s desire to move on. He’ll finish his Rangers’ tenure with 31 goals and 136 points in 364 regular season games with a +16 rating. Most of Trouba’s lack of success in recent seasons can be seen from his possession metrics. He averaged an approximated 47.0% CorsiFor% through his first four years in New York but has fallen to 42.6% and 40.0% in the last two years, respectively.
Still, Trouba provides value via his physicality from the blue line. For better or for worse, Trouba’s massive hits have become well-known throughout the league and that kind of toughness will be received well in Greg Cronin’s system in Anaheim.
The Ducks already boast one of the league’s most rugged defensemen in captain Radko Gudas and will now add Trouba to the equation. The Rochester, MI native has totaled more than 100 hits over the last six years and eclipsed the 200 mark twice from 2021-23.
New York will receive a mild return for their now-former captain in Vaakanainen and Anaheim’s fourth-round pick in 2025 (as per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun). Vaakanainen, who is currently on injured reserve, is a former first-round pick of the Boston Bruins from the 2017 NHL Draft and is a year removed from playing in a career-high 68 games for the Ducks. He won’t provide much on the offensive side of the puck given his career 25 points in 141 games but his $1.1MM expiring contract will give the Rangers increased financial flexibility moving forward.
That’s largely what this deal was about from the Rangers’ perspective. They have now cleared $12MM from their salary cap table after sending Barclay Goodrow through waivers this past offseason and now have the financial freedom to retain key pieces and be aggressive on the trade and free agent market. General manager Chris Drury has stayed adamant on his desire to reshape the Rangers roster and trading Trouba was one of the necessary steps toward that goal.
interesting, will he report? or how big was his no trade list?
This isn’t the NBA. Of course he’ll show up.
Lmao
15 team list. Basically set up as a compete Full NTC unless there was considerable salary retention by NYR. I’m shocked that he chose Anaheim since his wife is still attending grad school in NY
Thats exactly why im wondering if he’ll go, and comments made over the summer, we’ll see though
@NSco1996. Yeah he said that he wouldn’t report if he was traded. Hopefully the ducks were on his 15 no trade list meaning he was OK with the trade.
The list was modified, so it’s not like he had a choice regarding a trade. His wife can transfer to one of the schools out there. UCLA is a top program academically.
I did see his interview, he did actually waive his No Movement clause as Anaheim was on his No Trade list, we’ll see but i do think he’ll get flipped again back to the East
Detroit Mercy woulda been a great fit but congrats to the West Anaheim Medical Center on their newest hire!!
Well the first domino has fallen for the Rangers. Trouba is out but it doesn’t appear they’re getting much for him. Granted, at the time of this writing the draft pick isn’t known yet but Vaakanainen isn’t anything to write home about particularly. If anything, it clears cap space.
I’m sure more is to come in the coming weeks with the Rangers making moves.
Taking on that massive cap hit is indeed something! There has to be some salary retention!
No salary was retained in the deal.
I was thinking they’d have to pay to offload him.
Addition through subtraction.
Just used some of that money to lock up Sheserkin
Good luck Troubs!
Verbeek always had the crazy eyes and this confirms it
The original “Little ball of hate”.
NYR fleeced the Ducks
I see what you did there. :D
Gotta be something behind the scenes to this one. Why would Anaheim do this without retention?
Because they have nothing to lose by acquiring him at full. If anything, they get for cheap because they took the full salary and then at the deadline if anyone wants him they can acquire much more by retaining up to half his salary to facilitate a trade. Not like they were going to use that money to sign a high profile free agent.
Upgrade on defense, 1 year left after this season. Essentially got Trouba for free. Plenty of space for the Ducks.
I agree let’s him rebuild his value between now and trade deadline. 50% retained to a team looking for a decent physical d man might give up a 2nd
That’s a nice thought, but he still has a 15 team no trade clause and seeing as how he was reluctant to waive it this time, what’s his inspiration to do so twice in one season?
Anaheim has the most cap space in the NHL. Eell they did. Plus if they get rid of fowler, Gibson, dumoulin, Vatrano, and fabbri they need a big contract to hit the salary floor.
His inspiration now is to go to a contender at the deadline and try for a cup
They got the NYR Captain for absolutely NOTHING. THATS WHY!!
Trouba and Gudas, Violence is my favorite color!
Rangers get defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 conditional fourth-round pick.
@jminn. He’s actually not bad the ducks have too many LHD.
CYA goon
Hopefully Miller’s out the door next.
For some reason it took me 1/3 of a season to realize that those aren’t just some goofy third jerseys and those hideous blobs of orange are their real uniforms.
Makes those eggplant jerseys Rucchin and Kariya used to wear look beautiful.
Kudos to Drury for somehow pulling that deal off without retaining salary.
At some point Drury is going to need to address the physical player void on the team. Hockey may have changed over the years, but there’s still the intimidating factor of looking over your shoulder in a physical sport.
Well, there’s always Rempe. Would be nice though if the kid could play hockey.