New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba will not play in their Friday night game against the Pittsburgh Penguins for «roster management purposes» as the team seeks to trade him, an NHL source confirmed to ESPN.
The Rangers have presented Trouba with several trade options for his approval. The 30-year-old defenseman has a 15-team no-trade clause in his contract, which runs through the 2025-26 season and carries an $8 million salary cap hit.
The Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres have all talked to the Rangers about Trouba recently, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan.
New York might use the possibility of placing Trouba on waivers — taking away any control he'd have over a trade — as leverage to force a decision. The Rangers caused a stir in June when they placed forward Barclay Goodrow on waivers, clearing the last three years of his contract when the San Jose Sharks claimed him in a prearranged move.
Trouba's contract shifted from a full no-movement clause to a partial 15-team no-trade clause July 1. Multiple reports indicated that the Rangers asked Trouba for his no-trade list while he still had a full no-movement clause, an indication that they were trying to trade him. No deal materialized.
The Rangers are 13-10-1 this season, fourth in the Metropolitan Division and in the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. But the team is spiraling, with six regulation losses in seven games. In late November, general manager Chris Drury sent a memo to all 31 other teams to say the Rangers were open for business. He specifically mentioned Trouba and veteran forward Chris Kreider as trade possibilities.
Trouba has six assists and a minus-3 rating while averaging 20 minutes per night
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