Trouba: Rangers used waivers as “threat” to force trade out of NY
Published
Newly acquired Anaheim Ducks blueliner Jacob Trouba told reporters on Friday that the New York Rangers threatened to place him on waivers if he didn't accept a trade out of New York.
Trouba, 30, was eventually dealt to the Ducks in exchange for defenceman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
The former Rangers captain would have lost his ability to choose his destination had he been placed on waivers, or possibly be assigned to the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack.
"It was a threat," Trouba told reporters in his introductory conference call with the Ducks. "It got to a point where I felt comfortable with Anaheim and that was the place I wanted to go. I guess you could say I'm thankful they made it happen.
"It's a rite of passage to get fired at Madison Square Garden," joked Trouba. "I'm not blaming anybody or anything, but how it happened, I felt [it] was kind of an unfortunate ending to a lot of good times in New York."
Trouba is in the sixth season of a seven-year, $56 million contract with an annual cap hit of $8 million. He had a full no-movement clause until the end of the 2023-24 campaign but it turned into a modified no-trade clause on July 1 where he could submit 15 teams that he could refuse.
The 6-foot-3 right-shot defenceman had rumours swirling about his availability throughout the off-season and defended his intention to stay in New York on Friday.
"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," said Trouba. "I would choose my family 100 times over again. I don't feel bad about that. I didn'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."
The Rangers sat in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with a 13-10-1 record heading into Friday's action and general manager Chris Drury specifically named Trouba and forward Chris Kreider as possibilities for big changes on Nov. 26.
Trouba has six assists in 24 games this season while averaging 20 minutes of ice time.