The New York Rangers’ attempt to trade captain Jacob Trouba to the Detroit Red Wings dominated the rumor mill in the lead-up to the July 1 start of free agency. However, that deal appears to have been derailed by family matters and the no-movement clause in his contract until July 1, when it became a 15-team no-trade list. On July 10, The Hockey News’ Remy Mastey suggested the longer the Rangers held off trading Trouba, the more likely the 30-year-old defenseman will remain in New York this season
The Rangers’ general manager, Chris Drury, wanted to trade Trouba in order to clear his $8-million cap hit and use the savings to sign one or two UFAs. However, with the notable free agents now off the market, Drury’s trade would leave a big hole on their roster that could be difficult to fill. According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, Trouba will be in the Rangers’ lineup when the season begins in October.
Kaplan emphasized how difficult this circumstance was for Drury and Trouba, as well as the potential damage it had done to their relationship. The Rangers’ GM cannot let this fester for the rest of the summer. He must solve this issue immediately or risk it hanging over the squad like a dark cloud when they return for training camp in September. Ryan Dixon of Sportsnet questioned whether Drury would continue to try to move Trouba. The blueliner’s cap hit continues to be a hurdle to signing Alexis Lafreniere, who will become an RFA next summer, as well as goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who is also eligible for UFA status.
Trouba’s cap hit is now more of a trade stumbling block than his 15-team no-move clause. Most teams who aren’t on his list either don’t need to add him to their blueline or have already spent the majority of their cap space on previous off-season additions.
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