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Former New York Rangers captain and defenseman Jacob Trouba was not happy with how the team handled his trade.
Trouba was the subject of trade rumors this summer, and on December 6, he was officially traded to the Anaheim Ducks. The Rangers were going to put Trouba on waivers had he not agreed to waive his no-trade clause, which the defenseman isn’t happy about.
“I’ll be honest, I was put in a position this summer to make a decision between my career and my family and I chose my family,” Trouba said. “I would choose my family 100 times over again, I don’t feel bad about that, I was happy about it, I don’t like that it was made public necessarily or how everything unfolded so publicly. But, I guess that’s part of New York and what happens.
“It made it difficult to play kind of what that hanging over everything. The result is the result. I’m happy with moving forward, but I’m not overly thrilled with how it went down. In my opinion, things could’ve been handled better. I’m not blaming anybody or anything, just kind of how it happened I thought was kind of unfortunate.”
Trouba was traded to the Rangers in 2019. He was then named captain in 2022 and was a key figure in their defense for several years. But, with the Rangers struggling the team traded him to the Ducks in a move Trouba felt was forced.
Trouba Excited to go to Anaheim
The Ducks acquired Trouba for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Trouba is in the sixth year of his seven-year $56 million deal. Anaheim is taking on his entire contract and Trouba says he is excited to play for the Ducks and in Anaheim.
“Anaheim was one of the places my wife and I were interested in,” Trouba said. “Just everything about it. Where the team’s at, I think they have a great opportunity in the next couple years. It’s kind of a similar situation to when I came to New York with the really good young players that are ready to take the next step, and if there’s something I can do to help contribute to that, I think that’s my goal…
“It’s an organization that is ready to take the next real step, and hopefully this is another step in the right direction,” Trouba added.
This season, Trouba has skated in 24 games recording 0 goals and 6 assists.
Ducks Thrilled to Get Trouba
Although Trouba isn’t happy with how the trade happened, the Ducks are excited to add him to their roster.
Trouba will add a veteran presence to the blue line and be an impact defenseman. He also adds toughness to the lineup, which the Ducks wanted.
“When a player of this caliber comes available, I wanted to help our team, and I think he improves our team,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said. “He gives us a lot of depth on defense now. He’s a really good penalty killer. I think he’s got some underrated offensive skills that probably haven’t shown in the last year or so.
“So, overall, it gives our team a lot more rigid, physical play to the rest of our group, and for me, I’m trying to make this team better,” Verbeek added. “That is how I want us to play. I want us to be really tough to play against, and he certainly adds that element to our group.”
Anaheim is 10-12-3 to begin the season.
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Jacob Trouba Blasts Rangers Following Trade to Ducks: ‘Could’ve Been Handled Better’