The New York Rangers made no major changes this offseason, especially on defense. Erik Gustafsson left in free agency, signing with the Detroit Red Wings, clearing the path for Zac Jones to make the opening night lineup. They held onto the other five defensemen they played last postseason, including captain Jacob Trouba.
Trouba struggled late last regular season and in the postseason but the hope is he can stay healthy, make smart decisions with and without the puck, and contribute in 2024-25. He has two seasons remaining on a seven-season, $56 million contract with the Rangers.
Trouba’s 2023-24 Season
As Trouba has done for most of his first five seasons with the Rangers, he spent most of it playing on the team’s second defense pair with K’Andre Miller. He played with physicality, blocked lots of shots, and did a nice job on the penalty kill, but he also made some defensive mistakes and took some bad penalties.
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Trouba had three goals and 19 assists in his first 60 games of the season but suffered a lower-body injury after blocking a shot in a 4-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on March 4. He missed just under four weeks with the injury and struggled once he returned. He was held without a point and was minus-5 in his final nine regular season games. He ended up leading the Rangers with 183 blocked shots and was second on the team with 191 hits. He was moved to the third defense pair for the last few games of the regular season with Braden Schneider playing on the second pair.
After winning the Presidents’ Trophy, the Rangers took on the Washington Capitals, who had multiple key defensemen out, in the first round of the postseason. The team played well and Igor Shesterkin was excellent in goal which took some pressure off the rest of the team. Trouba was physical and even had a couple of hits as the Blueshirts completed a sweep in the first round. Despite playing well with Schneider on the second defense pair, head coach Peter Laviolette opted to move him down to the third pair and put Trouba back on the second pair.
In the second round, the Rangers faced the Carolina Hurricanes, a much tougher opponent. Trouba struggled with the speed of Carolina’s forwards and got caught out of position a few times. He started taking more penalties and though the penalty kill was excellent in the series, it was clear that the captain was laboring. He did provide a great moment, scoring a shorthanded goal to give the team a 1-0 lead in Game 5 but he struggled defensively.
The Rangers eliminated the Hurricanes in six games and took on the Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. Trouba continued to struggle and he once again got caught out of position and took a lot of penalties and Florida capitalized on those chances more often than Carolina did in the second round.
The Panthers outplayed the Rangers and eliminated them in six games. Trouba finished the postseason with one goal and six assists in 16 games. He provided some offense but was not sharp defensively and ended up with 22 penalty minutes. He was never a fast skater, but he seemed a step slower after returning from his injury. Despite his struggles, Laviolette opted to stick with him and he spent the majority of the playoffs as a top-four defenseman.
Expectations for Trouba in 2024-25
After his issues late in 2023-24, it is time to move Trouba down to the third defense pair and put Schneider, who is a much faster skater, back on the second defense pair. This would allow the veteran to focus on giving the team strong defensive play while playing alongside Jones, a skilled offensive-defenseman.
The Rangers need Trouba to avoid some of the mental mistakes he made last postseason and that may mean playing a more conservative style when it comes to pinching in the offensive zone. He also needs to be reliable with the puck and avoid making sloppy turnovers which lead to odd-man rushes. He might end up with fewer points but that will be worth it if he can play better defensively and get caught out of position less often.
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Trouba should continue to be physical and stick up for teammates. He will likely be one of the Rangers’ leaders in hits and blocked shots. He still has the size and strength to help clear out the front of the net in the defensive zone and he can certainly contribute on the penalty kill.
While Trouba should not be expected to have the type of season he did in 2021-22 when he finished with 11 goals, 28 assists, and was plus-25 in 81 games, he can still contribute in 2024-25. The Rangers need to stop relying as heavily on him, and he needs to give them consistency and strong defensive play.
For the Rangers on Defense
The Rangers enter the season with a lot of talent on defense, led by 2020-21 Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox. Schneider and Ryan Lindgren provide grit while Miller is a great skater who finished with 30 points last season and 43 points in 2022-23 despite rarely playing on the power play.
Jones was excellent late last regular season when he filled in for a couple of injured blueliners but he will have to prove he can continue playing at that level this season. Trouba will have to prove that he can still contribute and provide strong defensive play after his struggles last postseason. If they both play to their potential, they can make a big difference for the Rangers this season.
