- LeBrun says it’s “very likely” Jacob Trouba hits the open market Wednesday
- Term is the holdup in talks with Anaheim, and the Ducks want it short
- Read below for what the former Rangers captain brings to free agency
Jacob Trouba is headed for the open market.
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported Monday that it’s “very likely” the Ducks defenseman hits free agency on Wednesday. The door isn’t completely shut on a return to Anaheim. The two sides have just stalled on term, with Trouba wanting the longer deal and the Ducks wanting to keep it short.
Here’s LeBrun on how July 1 is shaping up:
Elliotte Friedman has been saying the same thing for weeks. “It sounds like Jacob Trouba’s hitting the market,” the Sportsnet insider said.
This isn’t how anyone drew it up two years ago. Trouba captained the Rangers from 2022 until Chris Drury traded him to Anaheim in December 2024.
The breakup got ugly. New York told him it would put him on waivers if he refused to waive his no-trade clause, so he agreed to the move.
Anaheim turned out to be a solid landing spot. The Ducks reached the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and pushed all the way to the second round. Trouba ate big minutes on the back end and brought the same physical game he’s carried his whole career.
Trouba made his name throwing the body. Take a look:
He finished last season with 10 goals and 25 assists while averaging better than 22 minutes a night. He’s 32 now, wrapping up the seven-year, $56 million deal he signed with the Rangers in 2019 after Winnipeg traded his rights to New York.
The front office has been busy this summer, moving Radko Gudas’s rights to Florida among other shuffles. Losing Trouba for nothing would sting, but the term gap is real.
A right-shot defenseman with size who’s willing to sign long doesn’t sit on the market. Trouba should have his phone buzzing the second the clock hits noon Wednesday.
