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Ducks' Jacob Trouba Rejected Move to Blue Jackets

The newest member of the Anaheim Ducks turned down a trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Nick Horwat

Nov 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (8) skates against the St. Louis Blues during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images
Nov 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (8) skates against the St. Louis Blues during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / Danny Wild-Imagn Images
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The New York Rangers made former captain Jacob Trouba the focal point of the NHL when it was reported they would be holding him from their game for reasons of “roster management.” After hours of drama and speculation, the Rangers eventually traded Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Urho Vaakanainen and a draft pick.

Trouba said following the trade that he wasn’t too happy with the whole situation the Rangers put him in, starting with an earlier trade discussion over the offseason.

“I’m not overly thrilled with how it went down,” Trouba said. “In my opinion, things could have been handled better.”

Over the offseason, the Rangers attempted to trade Trouba to the Detroit Red Wings, but he used his modified no-trade clause to block the move. This wasn’t the last time Trouba exercised his contractual right.

According to Aaron Portzline of the Athletic, Trouba also declined a trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets before eventually being moved to the Ducks.

When news started pouring out about Trouba and the Rangers, the Blue Jackets quickly emerged as a front-runner. About as quickly as they entered the race, however, Trouba shot them down.

The Blue Jackets were one of a few teams who would have been able to take on Trouba’s entire salary with no other cost-cutting moves needed. The Ducks were also one of those teams, as the Rangers retained none of his $8 million-per-year contract.

Trouba did, however, accept a move to Anaheim, waiving his no-trade clause to complete the deal between the Rangers and Ducks.

“It got to a point where I felt comfortable with Anaheim,” Trouba said. “Unfortunate, how it all happened. It’s a rite of passage to get fired by MSG.”

Entering the 2024-25 season, each team in the NHL had a captain for the first time since the 2010-11 season. That lasted about two months before the Rangers moved on from their captain.

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Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

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