The New York Rangers and General Manager Chris Drury wanted to be bold this offseason and make moves that would shake up the roster enough to win the Stanley Cup this season. They started by waiving Barclay Goodrow, and he was claimed by the San Jose Sharks. However, they have not been able to accomplish the biggest move they wanted to make, trading captain Jacob Trouba and his $8 million salary.
There were many rumors around the draft that Trouba would be dealt to his hometown Detroit Red Wings. However, the trade never materialized, and as of this writing, he is still the captain of the Rangers and will likely still be with the team come opening night. If he is traded, the Rangers will have traded their third consecutive captain. Here’s a look at those trades and what the future might hold for Trouba.
2014: Ryan Callahan Traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning
Ryan Callahan got to play parts of eight seasons for his hometown team and was named captain for three campaigns. He was drafted by the Rangers in 2004 and made his NHL debut during the 2006-07 season. He was a consistent 20-goal, top-six player for the team and was named captain before the 2011-12 season.
In 2013-14, he and management did not come close to agreeing on a contract extension, and it seemed like he would walk as a free agent. He was then traded to the Tamp Bay Lightning before the 2014 Trade Deadline in a blockbuster deal that sent Callahan, a 2014 first-round pick, a 2015 first-round pick and a 2015 seventh-round pick to the Lightning for Martin St. Louis and a 2015 second-round pick.
At the time, St. Louis was frustrated with Lightning management and wanted to be traded, but it took him a while to adjust to his new team, scoring one goal and eight points in 19 regular-season games. However, he stepped it up in the playoffs with eight goals and 15 points in 25 games on the Rangers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final.
He played one more season with the Rangers before retiring, while Callahan played parts of six seasons in Tampa Bay and was solid when healthy, but that was always a problem. He never played a full season with the Lightning, and the most games he played in a season was 77. He was forced into retirement following the 2018-19 season due to degenerative disc disease.
2018: Ryan McDonagh Traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning
With the Rangers’ Stanley Cup window quickly closing and the team struggling during the 2017-18 season, it was clear that the team needed to get younger with more prospects and draft picks. Famously, the management sent out “The Letter” to their fans, letting them know that they would be rebuilding and needed to trade some fan favorites.
This included Ryan McDonagh, who had been captain for parts of four seasons. He was their number one defenseman at the time, and although he still had another year left on his deal, they knew they would not re-sign him, so they traded him to, again, the Lightning along with J.T. Miller for Brett Howden, Libor Hajek, Vladislav Namestnikov, a 2018 first-round pick and a 2019 second-round pick.
Related: Rangers Need to Consider Lundqvist’s Contract Before Extending Shesterkin
The Lightning won two Stanley Cups with McDonagh, one of the anchors of their defense core, but in 2022, they traded him to the Nashville Predators to free up cap space. This offseason, they traded back for him, returning for one last run. This trade was a disaster for the Rangers. None of the players they acquired worked out, and the players they selected in the draft (Nils Lundkvist and Karl Henriksson) are no longer with the team, while McDonagh won championships, and Miller turned into an All-Star for the Vancouver Canucks.
2024-25: Could This Be Trouba’s Last Season With the Rangers?
The Rangers were hoping this move would have happened already, but Trouba has trade protection and would like to stay in New York with his wife and newborn son. So, it doesn’t seem likely that he will be traded this summer and will remain captain this season. While it might be an awkward situation, Trouba should have a chip on his shoulder, ready to prove that they should never have considered trading him.
He will likely start on the third pairing with Zac Jones, and if he plays well, maybe he can earn a role back in the top four as the season progresses. Unfortunately, even if he does have a good season, the Rangers will still try to move him because they will need cap space to fit new contracts for Igor Shesterkin, Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller. Most likely, this will be Trouba’s last season in New York.
It’s not strange to see a team move on from their captain. However, it might be telling that the Rangers will likely have traded three consecutive captains by this time next offseason. Is it a concern? Maybe. But right now, Trouba should aim to have the best season of his career in 2024-25, if he wants to prove the doubters wrong.
