This afternoon, the New York Rangers traded defenseman Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks. Trouba has been linked to Detroit in trade rumors since last June’s draft, but in an interview with ESPN tonight, the University of Michigan-trained defenseman cast doubt on the Red Wings’ reported interest.
Dennis Schneidler, Image images
In an interview that aired tonight during the ESPN+ broadcast of the Rangers game with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Trouba said: “I’ve obviously thought about that. I think maybe someone should check with the Red Wings to see if they’re interested. Has Anyone recorded that?” route?” With that rhetorical question, Trouba suggests that he did not have the opportunity to use his much-discussed 15-team no-trade list to rule out Detroit because the Red Wings never offered a (satisfactory) deal.
The rumors linking Trouba to the Red Wings came almost exclusively from New York Post reporter Larry Brooks. Earlier today, Brooks published a report that the Rangers were working on a blockbuster trade to acquire captain Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators. Within hours of that report, Bruce Garrioch reported in the Ottawa Sun that a “well-placed source” in the Senators organization described Brooks’ report as “complete bull.”
When you juxtapose Trouba’s question with Garrioch’s report, there is supporting evidence to suggest that Brooks’ reporting may more accurately reflect New York general manager Chris Drury’s desired outcomes than any actual ongoing negotiations. One thing that’s clear about the now-resolved Trouba saga is that it was handled messily.
The now former Ranger captain told reporters this afternoon: “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. I would choose my family again a hundred times. again, I don’t feel bad about that. I was happy with it. I don’t like that it was necessarily made public, or how everything unfolded so publicly, but I think that’s part of New York and what’s happening is difficult to play, what that hangs over everything. The result is the result. I’m happy with the progress, but I’m not very happy with how things went. In my opinion, things could have been better, but I thought the way it happened was quite unfortunate.”
Trouba also said, “Yes, it was a threat,” when ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski asked him if the Rangers had expressed their intention to put him on waivers if he didn’t waive his no-trade clause.
It’s a callous move by Drury, one that everyone in New York would forgive if it produced the mutually desired outcome (a second Stanley Cup since World War II), but today it’s hard not to feel sorry for Trouba , who wasn’t publicly dragged through the mud for about six months by an organization he had given so much to.
Fortunately for everyone involved, the saga is now complete.
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