Jacob Trouba: 'A Rite of Passage to Get Fired at MSG' After Rangers Trade to Ducks
Dec 6, 2024
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 29: Jacob Trouba #8 of the New York Rangers skates against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on November 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
Former New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba told reporters it was "a rite of passage" to be traded on Friday to the Anaheim Ducks.
"It's a rite of passage to get fired from MSG," Trouba said, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.
The Rangers traded Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks in a deal that cleared up cap space to sign star goaltender Igor Shesterkin to a record-breaking extension.
Trouba, who had already been scratched from Friday night's home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins prior to the trade, said he believed the team mishandled the transaction.
"My opinion is things could have been handled better. Not blaming anybody or anything, just kind of how it happened I felt was kind of an unfortunate ending to a lot of good times in New York," Trouba said, per Sportsnet.
He confirmed to reporters on Friday that the Rangers had told him he would be waived if he did not agree to a trade.
"It was a threat," Trouba said, per Mollie Walker of the New York Post.
Trouba did not want to leave New York in part because his wife, Dr. Kelly Tyson-Trouba, is completing a residency at an area hospital, according to the New York Post's Larry Brooks.
However, Trouba told reporters on Friday that Anaheim "was one of the places my wife and I were interested in."
Trouba's effectiveness on defense has decreased over the last three seasons, capped off by his struggles during the 2024 postseason.
The trade meant the Rangers could re-sign Shesterkin and shake up the roster after the team's 13-10-1 start to the season, while Trouba will get a fresh start on the West Coast.
Wayne Gretzky 1979 NHL Rookie Card Case Sells for Record $2.52M at Auction
Dec 6, 2024
Canadian professional hockey player Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers in action on the ice for an away game during his rookie season, 1979-80. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
The only known sealed case of O-Pee-Chee Hockey wax boxes from Wayne Gretzky's rookie season sold on Thursday for a record $2.52 million at Heritage Auctions.
The sale set a record for the most expensive unopened trading cards package in auction history, according to The Athletic's Brooks Peck.
The box contains 10,752 trading cards from Gretzky's rookie season, according to Heritage. The auction house estimated that the case will contain 27 Gretzky rookie cards.
There have been 13,887 Gretzky rookie cards graded by PSA, according to CLLCT's Will Stern. Just two of those cards have received the highest possible rating, a Gem Mint 10.
Should a third mint condition card be discovered in the box, it could potentially set a new record for the most expensive NHL card ever sold. A 1979 OPC Gretzky rookie card graded at a Gem Mint 10 level by PSA set the current hockey card record in 2021 when Heritage sold it for $3.75 million.
A Gretzky rookie card in slightly less than mint condition would be significantly less valuable. There have been 95 Gretzky rookie cards graded a PSA 9, and one was most recently sold for $122,000, per Stern and Peck.
The OPC case fetched $1.2 million less than when it was last at auction. Heritage sold the case in February for a record $3.72 million to Ontario real estate agent Jack Arshawsky.
The case was put back on auction after Arshawsky did not complete his payments to Heritage. Because of the difference in sale prices, Arshawsky could potentially take legal action against the auction house, Peck reported.
NHL Rumors: Igor Shesterkin, Rangers Agree to Historic $92M Contract Extension
Dec 6, 2024
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 29: Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers reacts to the loose puck against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on November 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
The New York Rangers are reportedly set to sign Igor Shesterkin to the largest goaltending contract in NHL history.
The Rangers and Shesterkin have agreed to an eight-year, $92 million deal worth $11.5 million per year, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Shesterkin will be the first goaltender to earn more than $10.5 million per year. The reported extension eclipses the eight-year, $84 million deal Carey Price inked with the Montreal Canadiens in 2017.
The news caps off a busy Friday for the Rangers, who reportedly traded captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks hours earlier.
The Ducks took on the entirety of Trouba's $8 million cap hit for the next two seasons as part of the trade.
The Rangers, who received defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and his $1.1 million cap hit in return, cleared almost $7 million in cap space with the trade.
The additional room under the cap may have allowed the Rangers to up their offer from the eight-year, $88 million deal that Shesterkin reportedly rejected ahead of the 2024-25 season, according to ESPN's Kevin Weekes.
Shesterkin, who will turn 29 later this month, is in his sixth season with the Rangers and his fourth as the franchise's starting netminder.
Beginning with his 2021-22 Vezina Trophy campaign, Shesterkin has established himself as one of the best goaltenders in the NHL over the last three seasons. He has marked a .921 save percentage, 2.39 goals against average and 109-43-14 regular-season record over that span.
Those numbers have dipped amid the Rangers' struggles to start the 2024-25 campaign. Shesterkin has so far recorded a 3.05 GAA and .908 save percentage while claiming just eight wins in 18 starts.
His stats haven't been helped by the Rangers' defense, which ranks 31st in the NHL with 32.8 shots allowed through 24 games.
Shesterkin's deal is a vote of confidence that he can return to Vezina caliber numbers and backstop the team to Stanley Cup contention while playing behind a stronger defense.
The extension also means the Rangers have five players signed through the 2028-29 season with Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, Alexis Lafrenière and Adam Fox joining Shesterkin as long-term locks in New York.
NHL Trade Grades: Rangers Ship Captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim for Urho Vaakanainen
Adam Herman
Dec 6, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 26: Jacob Trouba #8 of the New York Rangers controls the puck as Jackson LaCombe #2 and Ryan Strome #16 of the Anaheim Ducks defend during the first period at Madison Square Garden on October 26, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
From lame duck to Anaheim Duck.
Jacob Trouba is captain of the New York Rangers no more, reportedly heading to Anaheim in return for a depth defenseman in Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round draft pick, per TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Offical trade call with the league hasn't happened yet, so still pending that approval, but it will be defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick to the Rangers for Trouba. Ducks take on full Trouba contract. No salary retained by Rangers.
Teams rarely make seismic changes in early December, and when they do, it's usually the fallout from something truly rotten.
In New York, the rot was a generally poor season highlighted by six losses in the last seven games. Though there were questions of locker room cohesion and complacency all over the place, the elephant in the room was Trouba, who rejected a trade over the summer and seemed resigned to a departure from New York.
The Rangers ripped off the Band-Aid on Friday. Let's take a look at what this trade means for both New York and Anaheim and grade this transaction for each.
New York Rangers
Rangers GM Chris Drury
We're going to need more space to dedicate a fair analysis of what went wrong for Jacob Trouba in New York. The short version is that his game completely plummeted and the Rangers miscast him as a shutdown defenseman.
Trouba may throw the occasional monster hit, but his footwork, decision-making and positioning did not work well to someone expected to play a lot of minutes. Maybe he can rediscover his identity in Anaheim. That's for the Ducks to find out. It was never going to happen in New York.
And as his limitations on the ice led to problems off the ice, the Rangers are not only moving on from an unproductive player, but also one at the center of consternation within the organization.
The most important aspect of this trade for the Rangers is that Anaheim is taking on all $8 million of his cap hit through 2026 without dumping a contract back to the Rangers. That would have seemed highly unlikely just this past summer.
Even ignoring the return value, New York general manager Chris Drury has freed up a tantalizing amount of cap space to fundamentally alter the identity of this team either at the 2025 trade deadline or during the offseason.
That being said, this is hardly a pure cap dump for the Rangers.
Urho Vaakanainen, 25, has the potential to be the type of cheap, no-frills depth the Rangers badly need on the third defensive pairing. The 2017 first-round pick of the Boston Bruins had his career derailed by injuries, this season included, but he has played steady hockey in Anaheim in an otherwise unsteady environment. He's 6'2" and skates well, and has a proven track record of being able to advance pucks out of the defensive zone.
The Rangers defense has been painfully slow in recent years, and a switch from Trouba to Vaakanainen represents, primarily, a notable improvement in that area. The Finnish lefty has a $1.1 million cap hit and will be a restricted free agent this summer.
If all goes well, he could be a frugal piece to the puzzle in New York beyond this season. A fourth-round pick is also a welcomed addition for a team that has traded the bulk of its middle-round selections the last few seasons.
Ultimately, though, this trade is about disengaging from a toxic situation in the short-term and setting the scene for a fundamental overhaul of the defense that is soon to come.
There are numerous ways the Rangers can build a team with that extra cash Trouba frees up, and the vast majority of those scenarios provide more value than what the 30-year-old former captain has given the team the last two seasons.
Grade: A+
Anaheim Ducks
Ducks GM Pat Verbeek
The risk involved is relatively low for Anaheim. The Ducks are overflowing with exciting young defensemen. Most notably Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger and Stian Solberg. Vaakanainen is small potatoes and was likely an eventual sacrifice to make way for an impact NHL defenseman one way or another.
A fourth-round pick won't be missed by a team that has drafted 18 players in the top three rounds of the last three NHL drafts. For a young team still trying to find its wings, it makes sense that GM Pat Verbeek wants to add some veteran presence to his back end.
One can also see why they pounced on Trouba, given the circumstances. They were unable to make a big splash over the summer. Now a big name becomes available in December in an unusual circumstance and is willing to waive his no-trade clause to join them.
And even if Trouba turns into a total bust, what's the real harm done? They still have more cap space than they know what to do with. The deal expires next season, and they can probably trade him beforehand if necessary.
Maybe a mental reset is what Trouba needs. Compared to the high stakes of New York trying to win a Cup, he'll be in the calmer waters of Anaheim where every loss isn't critically analyzed.
There was a time when Trouba was a 50-point defenseman in the NHL. That's unlikely now, but maybe Anaheim casts him in a sheltered offensive role and he can become a top-four defenseman again.
However, if the idea is that this move will be what finally gets the Ducks out the quicksand and in a forward trajectory for the first time since they tore it all down some seasons ago, it's hard to see how that works out. There's a reason the Rangers traded their own captain, and while the media circus played a big role, it was primarily about his rapid decline in performances on the ice.
Most likely, the Ducks are dramatically overpaying a player well past his prime. In that sense, he's not so much different than some others on his new team.
NHL Rumors: Rangers Captain Jacob Trouba Traded to Ducks for Urho Vaakanainen, Pick
Dec 6, 2024
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 29: Jacob Trouba #8 of the New York Rangers looks on against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on November 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
The New York Rangers are trading captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks.
The Rangers received defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a conditional 2025 fourth-round draft pick in return, per Friedman and The Athletic's Chris Johnston.
The Ducks are taking on the entirety of Trouba's $8 million salary for the next two seasons, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Vaakanainen is owed $1.1 million this season and is set to hit unrestricted free agency next spring. The Rangers were left with $5.9 million in projected cap space following the trade, per PuckPedia.
After the Trouba trade, #NYR have $5.9M projected cap space.
This can fit $8.6M annual cap hit today or $27M at the deadline assuming no roster moves https://t.co/Zwz9vKwABr
Trouba was named the Rangers' captain ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. He was skating a career-low 20 minutes per game this season amid the teams' 13-10-1 start.
He played fewer than 17 minutes per night in each of his final two Rangers games, and the New York Post's Mollie Walker reported that the team planned to bench him entirely for Friday's home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Per Walker, the Rangers told Trouba that he would be waived if he did not accept a trade.
ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reported earlier on Friday that the Rangers had "presented Trouba with several trade options for his approval," while ESPN's Emily Kaplan wrote that the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets had spoken with the Rangers about Trouba.
Trouba had a 15-team no-trade clause on his contract, which The Athletic's Aaron Portzline reported he used to block a potential trade to the Blue Jackets.
The Red Wings were meanwhile "very interested" in Trouba but were "unable to come to trade terms" with the Rangers, Kaplan reported.
Kaplan had previously reported in July that the Rangers had a deal "in the works" with the Red Wings this summer, but that Trouba blocked the trade.
The Rangers have reportedly been shopping Trouba at least since he struggled to provide consistent defense for the team during the 2024 postseason, during which he later told reporters he had been skating on a broken ankle.
USA Today's Vincent Z. Mercogliano reported in July that Trouba "does not want to move his family" from New York. His wife, Dr. Kelly Tyson-Trouba, is completing a residency at a New York hospital through July 2025, per Larry Brooks of the New York Post.
Since his trade from the Winnipeg Jets in June 2019, Trouba has been one of the Rangers' leading hitters and shot blockers through 364 regular-season games. He finishes his New York career with 136 points (31 goals, 105 assists) in the regular season and 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 46 playoff appearances.
Vaakanainen has played just five games this season while dealing with an upper-body injury. He has not skated since Nov. 13 and was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday. The 25-year-old was one of the Ducks' top penalty killers last season and could slot in on the Rangers' PK when healthy.
For now, the Rangers will focus on recovering from a disappointing season start. After two Eastern Conference Finals losses in the last three seasons, the Rangers could be hoping trading their captain will be the push this franchise needs to contend for a title in 2025.
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Connor Bedard in Contention for Canada's 2026 Olympic Roster After 4 Nations Snub
Dec 5, 2024
CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 04: Connor Bedard #98 of the Chicago Blackhawks controls the puck during the first period against the Boston Bruins on December 4, 2024 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Being left off the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off roster doesn't mean Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard is out of the running to represent Team Canada during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Team Canada general manager Don Sweeney called Bedard part of the "next wave of future great players" on Thursday when discussing the decision not to invite him to the tournament.
"When we went through the process as a management group of building the best team to compete in February, with certainly an eye towards what the next wave of future great players is going to look like... Connor certainly falls in that category," Sweeney said, per NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "We know the special qualities he has."
Sweeney told reporters that Team Canada had "built out a database" with players who weren't ready for 4 Nations but could potentially play in the Olympics, per the Daily Faceoff's Matt Larkin.
"We're going to have to continue to have those stack up on top of each other year, the next year and a half, and make really hard decisions," Sweeney said.
Bedard, the reigning Calder Trophy winner, is off to a relatively slow start to his sophomore NHL season with 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 26 games.
"You kind of sleep in the bed you make, and I obviously haven't been too happy with the start of the year," Bedard told TNT on Wednesday about not being named to Canada's 4 Nations roster.
Bedard added, "You can try to use something like that for a little motivation. Just keep going, keep working hard, keep trying to get better, and that's what I'm going to do, for sure."
“You sleep in the bed you make.”
Connor Bedard wasn’t content but understood being left off Canada’s 4 Nations roster 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/GmHbu298uf
Sweeney will serve as assistant general manager to Doug Armstrong during the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.
He noted in a Wednesday appearance on Sportsnet that the ultimate decisions regarding the 2026 roster would be left up to Armstrong.
"We just felt that we weren't going to push aside anybody that deserved, and had earned, an opportunity to play in this event now," Sweeney said. "We were tasked to put together the best team we could put together now, for this event, with an eye towards tracking, in specific, several of the players and other guys that were so close to making this team."
Sweeney added that there is still a chance, should there be injuries to any members of the 4 Nations roster over the next several months, Team Canada could call up one of the players on the fringe of the roster.
Bedard, who led all rookies with 22 goals and 61 points last season despite missing 14 games with a broken jaw, may need to increase his production with Chicago in order to get that call. He has been held to two goals in his last 17 games for the struggling Blackhawks, who headed into Thursday with an NHL-worst 8-16-2 record.
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Connor McDavid, Crosby, Makar Lead Canada's Roster for 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off
Dec 4, 2024
Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby will lead Team Canada into the NHL's inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off.
The Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins captains were two of the 23 players named to the Canadian roster on Dec. 4 ahead of the round-robin tournament in Montreal and Boston this February.
Team Canada's full 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off roster is below.
The Vegas Golden Knights are the most heavily represented NHL team on the Canadian roster with Stone, Pietrangelo, Theodore and Hill all heading to the tournament.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are sending Cirelli, Hagel and Point, while Bennett and Reinhart will represent the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
Team Canada's stacked forward group is led by two of the best playmakers in the NHL in McDavid and Crosby.
Point and Stone could be tabbed to center Team Canada's bottom six, although Stone's role will come down to his availability. It could be an encouraging sign for the Knights that Stone, who has been sidelined since Nov. 6 with a lower-body injury, was named to the roster.
Crosby skated during the 2024 All-Star Game alongside fellow Nova Scotia native MacKinnon. Both he and McDavid, who grew up near Bennett, could get the chance to skate on a line with old friends in February.
Makar and Toews, who form the top pairing in Colorado and helped lead the Avs to the Stanley Cup in 2022, could be matched up once again for Team Canada.
The biggest question regarding Team Canada's starting lineup could come down to the net as Binnington, Hill and Montembeault potentially each have a shot at starting in February. Binnington may have the edge in terms of experience, but Hill matches him with one Stanley Cup win, and Montembeault is putting up a strong season so far despite a struggling Canadiens defense.
Reinhart, who leads the NHL with four short-handed goals headed into Wednesday, and Konecny, who paced all skaters with six last season, are likely to be dangerous additions to Canada's penalty kill. Lightning penalty killers Hagel and Cirelli are also likely to see ice time when a Canadian player is in the box.
Notable players absent from the Team Canada roster are Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard, Nashville Predators winger Steven Stamkos and Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele. Bedard remains a likely pick to represent Canada during the 2026 Olympics.
The last best-on-best hockey tournament took place during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in 2016. Crosby, Marchand and Pietrangelo were featured on Team Canada's roster during the event, and Crosby was named MVP after leading Canada to victory. McDavid and MacKinnon also played in the tournament as members of the under-23 Team North America.
Team Canada will be coached in the tournament by Jon Cooper, who led the Tampa Bay Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. He will also coach the Canadian team during the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.
The puck drops on the 4 Nations Face-Off on Wednesday, Feb. 12, as Canada takes on Sweden in Montreal. A rivalry matchup against Team USA is set for Saturday, Feb. 15, before Team Canada travels to Boston to take on Finland on Monday, Feb. 17. The championship game is set for Thursday, Feb. 20, at TD Garden.
