Jacob Trouba and the Winnipeg Jets have a fascinating relationship, to say the least. The former wants a long-term deal, but the latter seems unwilling to do so. Maybe Trouba doesn’t want to sign long-term. But whatever the reason, the Jets need to do whatever it takes to keep him around.
Most of each game is played at five-on-five. Hence, Trouba doing extremely well at five-on-five is extremely valuable.
Trouba has developed into an all-around great defenseman. His offensive production isn’t flashy, but he’s averaged at least 0.40 points per game in each of his past two seasons, which is pretty good for a defenseman. Also, it’s worth noting Trouba gets minimal power-play time (a shade under 90 seconds per game) and ranked 15th in five-on-five points per hour among defensemen (minimum 775 minutes played).
He makes the Jets a better team at five-on-five. That’s where a lot of Trouba’s value lies. And lest you think the Jets are dumb for not giving him more power-play time, Dustin Byfuglien is rightfully on the first power-play unit and is a huge catalyst for them.
Most of each game is played at five-on-five. Hence, Trouba doing extremely well at five-on-five is extremely valuable. Despite having to play on his off-side and having to play with Mark Stuart constantly early in his career, it’s unquestionable he’s one of the best defensemen in the NHL today.