The Anaheim Ducks are closing in on a trade for New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba according to multiple reports. The Rangers will in return receive defenceman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick, while not retaining any of Trouba’s $8 million cap hit.
Trouba, a 30-year-old Rochester native, had been mentioned in trade discussions as of late as Rangers general manager Chris Drury was looking to shake up the core of the team. The conversation around a trade reignited when the Rangers scratched their captain ahead of their Friday night matchup versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Blueshirts had given the “C” to Trouba just two years ago ahead of the 2022-23 season and during his tenure with the team, he recorded 31 goals and 105 assists for 136 points in 364 games.
He was primarily known for his defensive prowess as he used his large 6-foot-3, 203 pound frame to land 939 hits and block the third-most shots in the NHL since joining the Rangers with 836 over six seasons.
Vaakanainen was the Boston Bruins 18th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft before he was then dealt to the Ducks after four seasons. He split time between the AHL with the Providence Bruins and then following the trade with the San Diego Gulls. During his time in the NHL, he recorded a goal and 24 assists for 25 points in 141 games played.
It’s hard to say what the impact of the deal will be but some betting lines to keep an eye on would be the Ducks to finish with over 71.5 regular season points. Anaheim has been playing solid lately with a 5-3-1 record over their last nine games.
The Rangers could also look to use the move as a jolt throughout the locker room and are listed at a solid value for several future bets considering they are the reigning Presidents’ trophy winners. They are listed at +750 to win the Eastern Conference and +135 to record 100 or more regular season points.