It’s finally happened.
After a day of drama with the New York Rangers, captain and veteran defenseman Jacob Trouba is off to the Anaheim Ducks.
It’s a sad ending for that whole situation, with Trouba wearing the “C” and helping the Rangers contend for the past five-plus seasons with some offensive game and a physical presence that developed in recent years. But Trouba struggled mightily this year and it was time for a trade.
For the Ducks? It’s a young team with a rebuilding core that will learn from a wily vet, and that’s especially true for their defensemen.
Let’s hand out some grades:
The Rangers and Ducks trade details
The Rangers get: D Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick
The Ducks get: D Jacob Trouba
Rangers grade
It stinks that the Trouba era had to end with this messiness and in this way, but with him and the Rangers struggling it was necessary to get him off the roster.
Vaakanainen is a former first-round pick of the Bruins who was part of the trade that sent Hampus Lindholm to Boston, and he’s not known for his offensive game as much. When he returns from injury, he might slot in as a third-pairing defenseman.
But this was more about subtraction than addition, and that might help the Rangers on the ice, even if it hurts in the locker room.
GRADE: B
Ducks grade
Trouba isn’t a move to necessarily turn a last-place team into a contender. It’s to help the team grow. Young defensemen like Jackson LaCombe and Olen Zellweger will get some help from having Trouba there, so this could be a smart move for the Ducks long-term.
GRADE: B
