Eleven years into his NHL career, Rangers captain Jacob Trouba is no stranger to negative attention. As a 6’ 3” defenseman, he’s made a career of laying big open ice hits. Some of which have garnered disdain from opposing fans, players, coaches, and league officials. Trouba’s physical presence has been particularly noticeable in the playoffs and has been a momentum shifter for the Rangers at times. For example, his 2022 hit on Sidney Crosby, which occurred in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, was a blow to the Penguins’ morale and resulted in injury to Crosby. The Rangers responded with three straight wins to clinch the series. Controversial and substantial hits are not uncommon to Trouba, so much so that some hockey fans refer to collisions with the defenceman as getting “Trouba’d.” Trouba himself has denied having intent to injure anyone and claims it’s just “the way [he’s] always played.”
When given the captaincy by the Rangers ahead of the 2022-2023 season, Trouba wanted to prove that he was more than a controversial hitter. Last season, Trouba suited up for every game, posted 30 points on the regular season, and finished with a plus-7 rating. He showed the Rangers that he could be a workhorse, providing consistent minutes on the ice, contributing to offensive plays, and intelligently handling the puck in the Rangers defensive zone.
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The 2023-2024 season has been a slightly different story for the Captain. He suffered a lower-body injury and missed several weeks of games during March, returning in the March 30th game versus Arizona. In his absence, head coach Peter Laviolette had to tinker with defensive pairings that had been pretty stable before several injuries to defensive players, including Ryan Lindgren and Erik Gustafsson. This change saw K’Andre Miller, typically Trouba’s D partner, in a top pairing with Braden Schneider. Schneider has often played on the third defensive pairing, but with absences from the lineup, was able to take on a larger role. Miller and Schneider seemed to have solid chemistry on the ice, moving the puck well and consistently defending their own net. Rangers fans noticed the success the pairing had, especially as K’Andre Miller has been notably working on improving his game and shifting his mental focus, having taken some time away in December to deal with his mental health. Both players looked confident and consistent, something that seemed positive for both the defencemen and the fans. That brought up the question of where Trouba would fit in when he returned from injury. Some claimed the team was better as a whole without him, some wanted him separated from Miller, and others thought the team was missing the leadership and spark Trouba provides while he was absent. While Trouba himself has stated he doesn’t pay too much attention to outside opinions, his role is something that has become an important discussion.
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He has played technically three (total ice time of two seconds in the New Jersey Devils matchup) but realistically two games since returning from injury. He posted a combined -5 rating and played with Miller on the first defensive pair in the March 30th game against Arizona and the second pairing in the April 1st game against the Penguins. He and Miller have not looked as strong as Miller and Schneider, and Trouba himself has had turnovers and poor puck management. Some are concerned the 30-year-old could be struggling to bounce back from injury. Trouba stated that he won’t be trying to make any excuses and wants to let his playing do the talking.
The playoffs offer him the perfect opportunity to hit the reset button and get back to his game. These last few games of the season offer the chance to fine-tune some elements of his play. It’s yet to be seen if Laviolette will play with the defensive pairings over the end of the regular season schedule. Trouba has stated that it doesn’t matter to him where he plays, as long as he’s able to contribute to the team. Maybe he’ll find himself on a different pairing, maybe he’ll have less ice time, or maybe he’ll stick with his established role. Whatever situation Trouba is given, as the regular season comes to a close, he can reestablish his identity as a powerful enforcer, a defensive presence in front of the net, and a playmaker for the Rangers top forwards. The Rangers need their captain to step up, and Trouba’s clean slate is waiting for him.
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