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Over the summer, the New York Rangers explored various Jacob Trouba trade scenarios. In fact, the Rangers reportedly had a trade with the Detroit Red Wings in place around the NHL Draft in June. However, the then-New York captain vetoed the deal. On Friday, Trouba accepted a trade out of Broadway, this time to the Anaheim Ducks.
The Ducks acquired Trouba on Friday, as first reported by The Athletic's Arthur Staple. This was later corroborated by Pierre LeBrun, who added that New York would receive defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick. Crucially, the Ducks agreed to take Trouba's entire $8 million cap hit in this deal, according to LeBrun.
This is quite an interesting deal for both sides. Much will be said about the trade in the following days. For now, though, let's take a look at the Jacob Trouba trade on paper and give grades to both the Ducks and Rangers.
Rangers trade Jacob Trouba
Jacob Trouba spent parts of the last six seasons with the Blueshirts. And he certainly earned the respect of his teammates during his time on Broadway. He was the captain of the Rangers at the time of this deal, after all. However, it was clear the team wanted to move on. This deal represents a fresh start for both the player and the team.
Trouba brings a lot to the ice, even if he isn't the player he once was. He is a physical presence who is willing to set the tone, block shots, and drop the gloves if need be. He certainly isn't as stout defensively as he once was. However, he remains a quality option, especially for a team with young defensemen.
The Rangers needed to clear his cap hit in order to truly shake up their team. And New York does that here. This is the most crucial part of the deal from the Blueshirts' perspective. They get some defensive depth through the acquisition of Urho Vaakanainen, but the lack of salary retention in this trade is what makes it work for the Rangers.
New York may not be done tweaking their roster. They are 1-6-0 in their last seven games and hoping to prevent a tailspin. Moving Trouba's salary off the books completely could give them the maneuvering room needed to make an even bigger splash.
Ducks acquire Jacob Trouba
The Ducks are an interesting landing spot for Trouba. The Rochester, Michigan native had the opportunity to go to his hometown Red Wings over the summer. Detroit had expectations of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024-25 at that time, as well. In any event, his fit with Anaheim makes some sense.
The Ducks are a rebuilding team, which takes some pressure off Trouba. Moreover, he won't act as the captain of the team. Veteran defenseman Radko Gudas has that honor. Trouba can come in, play significant ice time, and help mentor a young team for a couple seasons.
Anaheim has a lot of young defensemen in their organization. Vaakanainen somewhat fits the bill as a 25-year-old rearguard. However, he served mostly as a depth player. In fact, he only appeared in five games for Anaheim in 2024-25 before this trade.
This is a price the Ducks can afford to pay. And they are uniquely able to take on Trouba's full salary over the next two seasons to keep the acquisition cost low. It's not a massive home run by any means. However, it's certainly not bad business for the Ducks, either.
Grades and final thoughts
The Rangers receive a high grade for the Jacob Trouba trade. New York cleared out significant cap space in this deal, which could allow them to further shake things up down the line. The Ducks, meanwhile, receive a slightly lower grade. Trouba works with where Anaheim is as a franchise at this point. Stomaching an $8 million cap hit is a risk no matter the situation. But it shouldn't hurt the Ducks any in this scenario.
New York Rangers grade: A-
Anaheim Ducks grade: B+
