Rangers Trade Trouba Across Country; Metro Head Hunting Ends

NEW YORK — The Pittsburgh Penguins will not face nemesis Jacob Trouba Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

Friday, New York ended months of pushing Trouba out the door by trading the physical defenseman to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 fourth-round pick.

A few weeks ago, New York general manager Chris Drury sent a league-wide memo making Trouba and winger Chris Kreider available. However, the memo was leaked, making the situation untenable for players and the team. New York has lost six of its last seven games.

Trouba was New York’s captain. He played 364 games for the Rangers after they splashed a seven-year, $56 million contract on him to leave the Winnipeg Jets via free agency in 2019.

Pittsburgh Penguins fans more rancorously remember Trouba for several legal and extra-legal hits to the head, including what he claimed was an inadvertent elbow that concussed Sidney Crosby as the Penguins led Game 5 of the 2022 Round One Series. The Penguins were leading at the time, and a Game 5 win would have eliminated New York.

Trouba was the subject of NHL trade rumors over the summer but reportedly exorcised his modified no-trade clause to block at least one deal. According to PuckPedia.com, Trouba could block a trade to 15 teams.

Trouba’s $8 million salary cap hit and contract expire on June 30, 2026.

New York recalled RHD Victor Mancini Friday morning and announced Trouba was not going to play due to “roster maintenance.”