NHL Trade Rumors: 5 teams who should trade for Jacob Trouba
According to the latest NHL trade rumors, the Winnipeg Jets, as expected, are actively shopping defenseman Jacob Trouba around. Here’s a look at five teams who would make the most sense for him.
The 2019 NHL offseason is shaping up to be one of the most ridiculous in league history. Not only are there free agents like Joe Pavelski, Erik Karlsson, and Artemi Panarin, but there are also a ton of NHL trade rumors. Defenseman Jacob Trouba of the Winnipeg Jets is the best blueliner available.
TSN is reporting the Jets are actively shopping him despite his outstanding 2018-19 season. To understand why the Jets are trading him, you have to look at the timeline of their relationship. It all started back in 2016 when Trouba became a restricted free agent.
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Trouba held out, wanting a long-term deal from Winnipeg. The Jets refused to give him one, leading to a staring contest, with each side waiting for the other side to blink. Trouba later a two-year deal in November, delaying the inevitable for until 2018.
Last summer, he was once again a restricted free agent. Trouba, wanting to prevent a repeat of 2016 and perhaps force a long-term deal, elected to go to arbitration with the Jets. Discussions about a long-term deal never really happened. Trouba was awarded a one-year $5.5 million deal by the judge.
For the third time in four summers, the Jets defenseman is a restricted free agent. Barring something unexpected, a long-term deal in Winnipeg seems impossible for Trouba. They weren’t willing to give him one in 2016 or 2018. Why would the Jets be willing to do it now?
Trouba is an interesting trade candidate because of his contract status. He’s a restricted free agent this summer but will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2019-20 season. The Jets could keep him, but it doesn’t seem likely.
Which five teams would should trade for him? Let’s take a look. All of the proposed trades assume Trouba will sign an extension with the team that trades for him. This should help maximize the return for the Jets.
But first, a few honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
Right-handed defensemen are a coveted asset in today’s NHL. So it’s not surprising a lot of teams should express interest in Trouba, even if an extension isn’t a part of the trade talks. These teams would love to add him to their roster but for various reasons, likely won’t win the sweepstakes for him.
Vancouver Canucks
If Winnipeg looks for a return that consists of picks and prospects, I think the Vancouver Canucks have enough to field an offer that would tempt the Jets. Trouba’s a perfect fit for Vancouver. They have the cap space to keep him around and they have a need for someone like him. But if the Jets want to make a hockey trade, most of the guys Winnipeg would ask for are untouchable.
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils need puck movers, so Trouba would make a lot of sense for them. But what can they offer the Jets? The restricted free agent rights to Will Butcher is a good start, but the Devils would need to add more than I believe they would be willing to give up. Also, they could just sign Jake Gardiner, who would cost them nothing but money.
New York Islanders
They have the cap space to make something happen, but unless the Jets really like Nick Leddy (whose value is low after a down year) or the New York Islanders are willing to throw in their 2019 first-round pick with Leddy or Anthony Beauvillier, I don’t see a fit. And if they’re going to do the latter, it would make far more sense to do it for a forward.
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings have shown interest in Trouba in the past. Their blueline needs a spark and Trouba would provide it. Andreas Athanasiou or Anthony Mantha would likely get the conversation started with the Jets, but they’d need to add more.
Montreal Canadiens
They’re a bit of an “outside the box” fit. The Canadiens defense is better than most people think, but their blue line could use a difference maker on the left side. Trouba’s right-handed, but he has experience on the left side. The market for left-handed defenseman is weak, so if the Canadiens want to upgrade on the left side, he might be their best option.
5. Florida Panthers
Proposed Trade:
Why Florida Does It
The Florida Panthers are going to make no fewer than one splash this summer. I’d be shocked if they didn’t come away with at least one of Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. Signing both, though it would be difficult, is plausible.
However, the Panthers biggest need is on defense. Outside of Aaron Ekblad and Keith Yandle, the rest of their blue liners are, to put it nicely, unremarkable. Trouba would be a huge upgrade to their defense.
Yes, trading Mike Hoffman would hurt. He’s a terrific player. And Mark Pysyk is a very capable NHL defenseman. But the Panthers would need to clear salary to add Trouba. Of course, it’s hard to predict how much they’ll need to clear, but this seems about right. They even get a sixth-round pick to even things out.
Why Winnipeg Does It
Hoffman would give the Jets two top-notch goal scorers, assuming they re-sign Patrik Laine. Pysyk also only has one year left on his deal. If Winnipeg wants to remain Stanley Cup contenders, this trade lets them do it.
Verdict
If the salary cap didn’t exist, I’d like this trade for both sides. But it exists, so this trade probably won’t happen. Still, given the Panthers needs on defense, don’t be surprised if they at least try to make something work with the Jets and Trouba.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs
Proposed Trade:
Disclaimer
Other teams would have to be involved here, as the Toronto Maple Leafs are in a cap crunch. Someone would have to take Connor Brown and Nikita Zaitsev (and most likely Patrick Marleau as well). But if those conditions are met, this trade makes a ton of sense for the Jets.
Why Winnipeg Does It
Nazem Kadri is a polarizing player, but he’s undeniably a very good one. He would solidify their center depth and make it one of the Jets one of the deepest teams down the middle. Winnipeg also gets some much-needed certainty, as Kadri has three years remaining with a reasonable annual cap hit of $4.5 million.
Why Toronto Won’t Do It
If the NHL didn’t have a salary cap, this hockey trade might happen. Unfortunately, even if the Leafs manage to clear the contracts of Marleau, Zaitsev, and Brown while retaining nothing (give Kyle Dubas the GM of the Year award if he does that), Trouba’s probably a tad bit too pricey for them. Also, acquiring doesn’t fix the Leafs salary cap situation.
The Leafs could replace Kadri in the trade with William Nylander, but if Dubas trades him after saying he won’t, he’s not going to be able to sign anyone good without giving them no-trade protection.
A Kadri for Trouba swap works for the Jets, no question. And though Trouba would give the Leafs the top-pairing right-handed defenseman they covet, it makes little sense for them because they’re trying to cut salary, not add it.
3. Buffalo Sabres
Proposed trade:
Why Buffalo Does It
Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill is probably feeling some heat under his butt. The Ryan O’Reilly trade looks more underwhelming with every passing day. Botterill traded him last summer to start a “culture change”.
He also reportedly considered trading defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. Botterill chose poorly. Also, Ralph Krueger, the coach he just hired, has front office experience. Just a thought.
Trouba is objectively a better player than Ristolainen. There might have to be more salary shedding involved in this trade, especially if the Sabres re-sign Jeff Skinner. But this is a good chance for Botterill to make a trade he should have made a year ago.
Why Winnipeg Does It
A straight swap would make little sense. Ristolainen is worse than Trouba. But there is one thing he has over Trouba – term and cost certainty. Ristolainen is signed for the next three years with a $5.4 million annual cap hit.
He would give them an immediate Trouba replacement. Despite Ristolainen’s well-publicized struggles, he’s got a ton of talent. The Jets might bank on him figuring things out with a change in scenery.
Verdict
It boils down to what kind of prospects or picks the Sabres toss into the trade. A straight swap, as mentioned earlier, is significantly tilted in Buffalo’s favor. They’re going to have to be creative and find a way to add something that makes Winnipeg say “yes”.
2. Tampa Bay Lightning
Proposed trade:
Why Tampa Does It
The Tampa Bay Lightning have a chance to add a significant piece to their defense. Though they have five defensemen signed for next season, there’s a hole on the second pairing. Cernak could fill it, but that’s not fun. If they strike out on Erik Karlsson, Jacob Trouba would be one heck of a “plan B”.
Both Tyler Johnson and J.T. Miller have no-trade clauses. The former has a full no-trade clause and the latter has an eight-team no-trade list. If the Lightning can talk Johnson into waiving his or Miller doesn’t put the Jets on his (or they talk him into waiving it), they could probably squeeze in Trouba. He’d be less expensive than Karlsson, though, as they say, you get what you pay for.
Why Winnipeg Does It
Because the Lightning pushed the “force trade” button? In all seriousness, Johnson and Miller would both make sense for Winnipeg, providing them with even more forward depth. It’s worth noting the Jets are a popular team on no-trade lists, which might complicate things.
Verdict
This has the ingredients of a solid hockey trade. However, it’s not happening. Why? Because Karlsson’s signing with the Lightning. Just like Thanos, Karlsson signing with the Lightning to play with his friends is inevitable.
1. New York Rangers
Proposed trade:
Why New York Does It
For all the talk of the New York Rangers wanting to sign Artemi Panarin, I don’t think they should do it. It has nothing to do with Panarin. He’s the NHL’s equivalent of a unicorn – a wing who can drive his own line and make his teammates better.
Rather, it has to do with a much larger need – their blueline. It’s awful. They desperately need a top pairing defenseman. Signing Karlsson would solve this need, but man is that risky. Trouba would be a more reasonable target for them. And he would fix their defense.
Pavel Buchnevich is an extremely gifted player, but it’s time for the Rangers to piss or get off the pot with him. They have to give up a tangible asset who can help the Jets right now for this trade to work. Chris Kreider is probably too expensive for Winnipeg, so Buchnevich is the only realistic option. There aren’t many trades involving Buchnevich the Rangers would win. This is one of them.
Why Winnipeg Does It
The Jets gave up their 2019 first rounder for Kevin Hayes at the trade deadline. I’ve never heard of a team trading a first rounder and getting it back a few months later, but it makes sense in this case. Buchnevich is an extremely gifted forward who could benefit from a change in scenery. However, he’s not enough by himself to get Trouba. The first-round pick makes up the difference.
Verdict
I think the Rangers are going to be the team the Jets talk to the most about Trouba. Kaapo Kakko (or Jack Hughes if the Devils are feeling zesty and go with Kakko with the first pick) speeds up their rebuild. Trouba would fix their largest need and probably put them in the conversation for a playoff spot.
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Meanwhile, the Jets get a realistic and solid return for someone who they aren’t signing long-term. It’s not an ideal return, but it’s a good one that makes sense for them.