Former Rangers GM Blasts Jacob Trouba Saga

A former Rangers general manager recently blasted the team for their handling of captain Jacob Trouba.

May 22, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (8) controls the puck against the Florida Panthers during the third period of game one of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Rangers have had a difficult offseason. Their precarious salary cap situation forced them into making changes and exploring even more. They placed beloved forward and bottom-six staple Barclay Goodrow on waivers, a move that stunned Goodrow and his former teammates.

Even after this move, the Rangers still have work to do. There has been speculation for months that forward Kaapo Kakko and team captain Jacob Trouba are possible trade candidates. Trouba was even reportedly on the cusp of being shipped to Detroit, but his no-movement clause kicked in and stopped that deal.

The situation seems tenuous now between Trouba and the Rangers, and there is a feeling that the relationship could be fractured. Former Rangers general manager Neil Smith, who served in the role between 1989 and 2000, is not pleased with how his former organization handled this. Appearing on the Hockey Night in New York podcast, Smith lambasted the Rangers for fumbling this issue with Trouba.

“Now you’ve got some muddy waters with maybe the most important guy on your team," he said. "The captain — the guy that has the most influence in the locker room. So it’s gonna be something that they’re gonna have to handle. It’s a bit of a mess.”

Elaborating further, Smith took issue with how public this ordeal has been. Since the attempted trade occurred, the media has been all over this. Will the Rangers trade their captain or will they try to mend a strained relationship?

“The thing that I’m surprised at is to allow this to happen publically,” he said. “This is your team leader. This is your captain. From what I understand, if the players had to vote to who should be the captain, they would still vote Trouba every time.”

Trouba is still the unquestioned locker room leader of the Rangers. His experience, physicality, and defensive responsibility are key elements to the Rangers' style of play, and he is really the only one that brings that every game.

With more recent reports indicating that Trouba will remain in New York in 2024, Smith's comments ring true. The Rangers need to clean up their mess and make their captain and leader feel wanted again. Otherwise, the Blue Shirts could be in for an even more dramatic and disappointing season on Broadway.

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