"Threatened with waivers if he didn't accept": Elliotte Friedman drops eye-opening remarks on Ex-Rangers captain Jacob Trouba's trade to Ducks

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared insights on the Jacob Trouba trade to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday's episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast. The New York Rangers traded Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 fourth round pick. Before the trade, Trouba was scratched from a game for "roster management," signaling his exit.

Friedman explained that the Rangers pressured Trouba to accept a trade by threatening waivers.

"They were all talking about what was going on with Trouba, particularly in the morning, when it had been reported, and it turned out correctly, that Trouba was threatened with waivers if he didn't accept a deal," Friedman said.

Trouba became the Rangers' captain at the start of the 2022-23 season. He scored 136 points (31 goals, 105 assists) in 364 games in six seasons with the team. This campaign, he has six assists in 24 games. Over his career with the Rangers and Winnipeg Jets, Trouba recorded 315 points (73 goals, 242 assists) in 772 regular season games and 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) in 74 playoff games.

This decision surprised many players, especially since Trouba was the team captain.

"So a lot of players were kind of talking about, 'Hey, what happened?'" Friedman said. "And it's not only that this was happening with Trouba, but he was the captain of a team, right? So, because he has kind of an elevated status in a dressing room or in an organization, you know, players look at it and say, 'Well, if it happened to him, it certainly happened to me.'

"I think a lot of them really felt that if you have protection, which says you can't be traded somewhere. Why should a team that you're blocked from being traded to be able to claim on waivers?"

The Rangers, who had a strong start, have struggled lately, winning only two of their last nine games. Friedman added that Trouba's trade was legal but described it as "forceful."

"It's not like the Rangers broke any laws." Friedman said, "What they did was perfectly legal. It was forceful, and we can all judge. They applied the pressure to him. He did not have a no-move clause."

Rangers general manager Chris Drury is in no rush to name a new captain, allowing others to take on leadership roles.

Jacob Trouba's response on getting traded to Anaheim Ducks

Reflecting on his time in New York, Jacob Trouba said he cherished the experience but looked forward to a fresh start in Anaheim. He added that the Ducks’ young roster and growth potential motivated his decision.

"Anaheim was one of the places my wife and I were interested in," Trouba said on Sunday, via NHL.com, "Just everything about it. Where the team's at, I think they have a great opportunity in the next couple years. Similar situation to when I came to New York."

Trouba’s friends on the Ducks, Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano, welcomed him. They believe that his playoff experience and presence would help the team a lot.