The New York Rangers didn’t make any blockbuster moves in free agency, but it is evident they still need reinforcements in hopes of chasing a Stanley Cup next season. However, they face another interesting situation with team captain Jacob Trouba, who is 30 years old now and coming off a disappointing 2023–24 season.
Jacob Trouba’s challenging 2023-24 season
Trouba scored three goals and 19 assists over 69 games, hosting a -4 rating and 22 total points. The defender has two years and $16 million remaining on his seven-year, $56-million deal. In the postseason, things got worse for Trouba, who was playing through an ankle injury. He was on the ice for 47% of the goals that the Blueshirts conceded in the last two rounds of the playoffs before their untimely elimination.
The Rangers could waive Trouba
The Rangers have been trying to trade Trouba, but his value has diminished, especially after a disappointing postseason performance. He had just one goal and five assists during the team’s playoff run and was largely disappointing.
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According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, the Rangers could end up waiving the defender since his no-move clause stands in the way.
“I’m real curious about Trouba. Today, right about now is waivers time. So, there was lots of speculation that Trouba might be a guy that ends up on waivers if they couldn’t get the no-trade list to cooperate. They did that with Barclay Goodrow. So much happening,” Seravalli said on Daily Faceoff’s Live Free Agency Special on July 1.
Rangers’ future moves and financial flexibility
The no-move clause transitioned to a 15-team no-trade clause this week, so the Rangers were expected to have some opportunities. However, it’s just a matter of convincing another team that he still has some gas left in the tank — and convincing Trouba and his family to leave New York.
The Rangers currently have over $8 million in salary space at their disposal, so if another team claims Trouba, they could add the full $8 million in salary back to their allocations. However, the Rangers would likely have to retain some of the salary in order to convince another team to take on Trouba’s contract. And that’s assuming another team actually sees value in him coming off a horrible campaign and an inconsistent playoff run.
