A few big trades went down at the 2024 NHL Draft on Saturday. One trade many fans were expecting involved the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings. Reports indicated that New York and Detroit were close to a trade involving Rangers captain Jacob Trouba. However, the draft concluded on Saturday afternoon without a deal between the two Original Six franchises.
On Saturday night, Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman published a solo edition of his 32 Thoughts Podcast. He offered insights on many developments around the league ahead of NHL Free Agency on Monday. Friedman said that sources close to him expressed that earlier reports of a trade jumped the gun a bit. And the hold up here may be Jacob Trouba himself.
“The one thing I am reasonably certain of is that this whole situation that's developed over the last week or two has been hard on Trouba. If you go back to when he left Winnipeg, both the Jets and the player were ready for a divorce. In this particular case, the Rangers may have decided, for cap reasons, that they have to do this,” Friedman began on Saturday.
“But that doesn't mean that Trouba is ready for this. There's a lot here, and one of the things I think has really made this challenging is that Trouba has struggled with the idea that the Rangers might want to move on from him,” the NHL insider continued, via the 32 Thoughts Podcast.
Why Rangers want to trade Jacob Trouba
The Rangers came close to the Stanley Cup this past season. In fact, they were within two games of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Unfortunately, they fell just short of their ultimate goal. This summer promises a lot of changes on Broadway as they look to take the next step. New York needs more financial flexibility, however. They have just $13.6 million in salary cap space heading into NHL Free Agency on Monday.
Trading Trouba is an easy way to gain that needed flexibility. The veteran defenseman makes $8 million a season for the next two years. Even moving out part of this contract would be beneficial to New York. Added cap space would allow the Rangers to extend defenseman Braden Schnider, for example, as he reaches restricted free agency this summer.
A move is beneficial financially for the Rangers, but certainly may not be an easy move to make. Especially if Jacob Trouba has anything to say about it. New York may face added complications if they continue to pursue moving on from their veteran captain this summer.
What comes next for New York
On Monday, a trade actually becomes a bit easier, at least on paper. Trouba has a full no-movement clause in his contract at this time. The point of trading the veteran rearguard to the Red Wings was to entice him to waive this clause. Trouba is a Michigan native and played collegiate hockey at the University of Michigan.
However, when NHL Free Agency opens, this clause changes. Trouba loses full no-movement protection with the NHL's new league year starting. This protection shifts to a 15-team no-trade clause, which allows him to veto a trade to nearly half the league. He needs to provide a list of 15 teams he would reject a trade to.
Friedman noted this, and offered speculation around how the veteran defenseman may approach his list. One agent told Sportsnet's NHL insider that he strategically construct his list. “What one other agent told me was, when Trouba submits his list, will he make it strategic? His list is due on July 1. Will he make it strategic so that places the Rangers might actually be able to trade him to would be blocked?” Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts Podcast on Saturday.
It's clear there is a disconnect between Jacob Trouba and the Rangers. Whether a trade with the Red Wings or another team happens remains to be seen. In any event, this is certainly a situation hockey fans should keep an eye on as NHL Free Agency approaches.
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