TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — There’s a reason Jacob Trouba was named captain of the New York Rangers prior to the 2022-23 season. It’s not because he’s a short-tempered guy prone to popping off in the media.
So it wasn’t a surprise Tuesday that Trouba tried to downplay the effect of hearing his name on the trading block and that his own general manager put it there. As The Athletic reported Monday, Chris Drury sent out a note on Sunday to the 31 other NHL GMs saying the Rangers are open to trades and any that might specifically involve Trouba or Chris Kreider.
The goal was likely less finding a trade partner for one of those established veterans but more to light a fire under the Rangers’ room. It didn’t catch on Monday, with the St. Louis Blues putting a 5-2 hurting on a Rangers team that’s now lost three straight and given up 40-plus shots on goal in all three.
“I’m happy to be here. I’m focused on playing hockey,” Trouba said after an optional Rangers practice Tuesday ahead of the first meeting this season with the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh on Wednesday. “I learned from the summer you’ve got to kind of block all that out and just focus on playing hockey.”
Trouba said he hasn’t spoken to Drury since Sunday’s league-wide call for trade offers and doesn’t have any plans to seek out the GM to calm the waters. After the summer Trouba referred to — when Drury was hoping to move his captain ahead of July 1 to try to make some free-agent moves on defense and Trouba declined to play along — it may not be a surprise that Drury and Trouba aren’t sharing long talks these days.
“It’s part of the business,” Trouba said. “I don’t know if (the trade talk is) real or not. My job is to play hockey.”
The playing part hasn’t been going so great for him or his team. Monday’s loss marked the sixth time in 20 games and third straight game the Rangers allowed more than 10 high-danger scoring chances, according to Clear Sight Analytics. For the season, the Rangers rank first in the league in high-danger scoring chances for at five-on-five but 29th in high-danger chances against.
When their offense is not clicking, as has been the case the past three games, the Rangers are exposed without the puck and prone to scrambling in the defensive zone. The losing streak is new but these defensive issues have persisted through the majority of the 20 games, covered up by timely offense and the goalie tandem of Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick, who have a combined .917 save percentage, second in the league behind only the 18-4-0 Jets’ goalies.
“The three prior to (the past three games), I didn’t mind,” Peter Laviolette said. “I thought we were pretty good. But there were a few games prior to that we weren’t very good. We gave up too much and maybe that trickled through and now you’re in a little bit of a stretch of it again. These are things that need to be addressed and we need to get better.”
Laviolette said Kreider and Filip Chytil (upper body) are traveling with the team to Raleigh and Philadelphia for the next two games. The Rangers sent Matt Rempe back to Hartford after a one-game appearance on Monday but kept Brett Berard, who likely would continue to play in Kreider’s absence if it continues.
Laviolette also said he wants to see his veteran players work their way through the struggles. The Ryan Lindgren-Trouba pair was on for three Blues goals on Monday.
“You’ve got to give them a chance to respond and a chance to work their way out of it,” he said.
As for Trouba, he did manage a smile when asked about having his name come up now twice in the span of five months and as a likely prelude to a move this coming offseason, when his wife’s medical residency in New York is finished.
“That’s how it works,” he said. “I love this group. I love playing here.”
(Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
