‘Not overly thrilled’: Jacob Trouba speaks on trade to Ducks
It wasn’t always the smoothest relationship between the New York Rangers and captain Jacob Trouba. On Friday, it ended completely with a trade to the Anaheim Ducks. And the big defenceman said on a Zoom call with reporters hours after the deal was made official that he was “not overly thrilled with how it went down.”
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It wasn’t always the smoothest relationship between the New York Rangers and captain Jacob Trouba.
On Friday, it ended completely with a trade to the Anaheim Ducks.
The big defenceman said on a Zoom call with reporters hours after the deal was made official that he was “not overly thrilled with how it went down.”
“My opinion is things could have been handled better. Not blaming anybody or anything, just kind of how it happened I felt was kind of an unfortunate ending to a lot of good times in New York,” Trouba said.
The Rangers acquired defenceman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round draft pick in return for Trouba.
Early Friday morning, there were reports the Rangers could place Trouba — whose contract includes a modified no-trade list — on waivers as leverage to help facilitate a deal.
“It was a threat,” Trouba said when asked of the possibility.
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In the summer, there were reports that Trouba blocked Rangers trade attempts as his wife Kelly was in the middle of her residency at a New York hospital.
“I was put in a position this summer to make a decision between my career and my family and I chose my family. I would choose my family a hundred times over again. I don’t feel bad about that. I was happy about it,” he said.
“It made it difficult to play with that hanging over everything. I guess I’m happy with moving forward.”
The 30-year-old is in the sixth year of a seven-year, $56 million contract. The Ducks absorbed Trouba’s entire salary in the trade.
In 24 games this season, Trouba has six assists and is minus-3. He has been with the Rangers since a trade from the Jets in 2019 and has been captain since the start of the 2022-23 season.
The Rangers are currently riding a seven-game losing streak.
“Where the team is moving forward, there was gonna be a trade at some point. I think Anaheim was one of the places my wife and I were interested in,” Trouba said.
Meanwhile, Trouba noted he is not the first player to be traded or moved against his will.
“It’s a rite of passage to get fired.”
