The Rangers only made two moves on the first day of free agency, signing Sam Carrick and trading for Reilly Smith. But it was the Jacob Trouba situation that took center stage, with The Post noting Trouba’s family is his top priority, as it should be. Unfortunately for the Rangers, the Jacob Trouba situation is boiling over into the public space, with so many quick to jump to conclusions and attack someone’s wife.
As per usual, I have thoughts.
1. First and foremost, if you’re using this Jacob Trouba situation to go after his wife for having the audacity to have a life of her own and not “just be a WAG,” then you are the scum of the Earth. There is no place in this world for people like you. Full stop.
2. Re-read number 1 again.
3. Onto things that should actually be discussed: The Post’s article is worded very carefully and very vaguely for a reason. What is causing the Jacob Trouba situation is a combination of poor luck (residency delayed a year), poor cap management from a prior regime, and a global pandemic that froze the cap for 4 seasons. It needed all three to become what it has over the last few days, and it is an unfortunate reality that both Trouba and Chris Drury need to navigate.
4. As for the contract Trouba cannot, and I repeat, cannot decline a trade to a team that is not on his 15-team no-trade list. His list has 15 teams he won’t accept a trade to, which means 16 teams he has no choice but to accept the trade to. If that was your conclusion about the Jacob Trouba situation, that he’s blocking all trades, you’re wrong. He can’t.
What The Post article doesn’t come out and say directly is Trouba may be threatening to not report. We have no idea if this is true or not. We cannot take things written as gospel. In the first paragraph of that article, Brooks apologizes for his sources being wrong on the Detroit trade that leaked over the weekend.
There is acknowledgment in the first paragraph that not everything that leaks is true. The same grain of salt needs to be used here.
5. There is no problem with Trouba exercising his contractual right to block a trade to a team on his NTC list. There is a problem if he’s refusing to report if traded. That would scare away any potential suitor unless it’s the Islanders or Devils, which fat chance.
Not reporting is on Trouba, albeit in a bad situation for he and his family. But if he’s simply blocking trades to teams on his NTC, then that’s within his contractual right.
This is why the Jacob Trouba situation is blowing up. The Post worded everything very vaguely about a guy who has been a scapegoat for the last 2 months. There is no clarity and it’s clear The Post left it open ended for a reason. Unfortunately when you leave things open ended, the wolves pounce.
6. If the Jacob Trouba situation ends with Trouba playing for the Rangers next season, then it’s on Peter Laviolette to find the right role for him. As Suit said, Trouba’s fit in an aggressive 2-1-2 isn’t great. If they can find someone to take some of that defensive pressure away and perhaps be the first guy to stop the zone entry instead of Trouba, then it puts him in a position to succeed.
For some reason, Trouba has been shoehorned into a shutdown role with the Rangers. He was never a shutdown defenseman. If he’s back next season, he should be with someone who is more of a shutdown guy, freeing him up a bit more with more room for error.
Luker has been fighting the good fight on this for years now. The silver lining is perhaps this whole Jacob Trouba situation means we finally get him out of a shutdown role. He’s never been a shutdown defenseman.
7. I am monitoring the comments on this one. Tread lightly. Be upset with his play. Be upset with the decision to play on a broken ankle. Be upset that a trade can’t be finalized. Be upset with the contract. Do not use this as an excuse to be a jerk.
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