New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba is revealing some surprising news after the team's postseason run. The defenseman says he was playing a good amount of the regular season while being hobbled with a lower-body injury.

“That was tough. I broke my ankle. They said a kidney-sized bean chunk of my ankle came off, but it was not a weight-bearing bone, so I could walk,” Trouba said, per USA Today. Trouba stated the ankle felt better as the year went on, but skating was difficult for him.

His injury occurred before the trade deadline, per USA Today. The development must surely be surprising to a lot of Rangers fans. Trouba skated through the pain this season, playing significant minutes for the club throughout the postseason. The Rangers bowed in the Eastern Conference Final in six games to the Florida Panthers, after building a 2-1 lead in that series.

Trouba's season in the Big Apple

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (8) reacts during the third period of game five of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Trouba was an important cog in the Rangers' defense this season. He was on the ice in pivotal moments for the team throughout its playoff run. He finished the 2023-24 campaign with 7 points in the postseason, including six assists. He had a total of 22 points on the year for New York.

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Trouba's injury may very well have affected him on the ice. The defenseman kept playing, despite the bum ankle. His plus-minus this past season wasn't as good as it had been in years past. This year, he had a plus-minus of -4. That was significantly less than a year ago, when he had a +7 in that category. Two years ago, he was performing even better, with a plus-minus of +25 during the 2021-22 campaign.

Some of his other stats were also down this season, including goals. Two years ago, the captain scored 11 goals for the team. Last year, he posted eight. This year, Trouba finished the season with just three goals scored. Despite this, Trouba still played a pivotal role on defense. His efforts are even more impressive considering he was essentially skating on just one good ankle for the entire postseason.

“That was tough because you feel fine, you want to be out there, but you're definitely limited by that,” Trouba added. “It's not an excuse or anything by any means.”

Rangers fans are certainly hopeful that the injury heals quickly. New York has a chance this offseason to make a good team even better. The team built a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Final over Florida, and looked good enough to be able to make the Stanley Cup. A healthy Trouba may have made the entire difference in the series for the team. A heartbreaking overtime loss in Game 4 took the wind out of the team's sails, and the club never recovered. The Panthers won the last three games of the series to knock out New York from the playoffs.

The Panthers and Edmonton Oilers play Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday.