Hours after the Rangers traded Jacob Trouba to Anaheim for the second time in his 12-year NHL career, the former Blueshirts captain spoke via Zoom from his New York City apartment. He attended a press conference to join the Ducks.
The 30-year-old defenseman lost his soul in the aftermath of an unfortunate end to nearly six seasons in New York.
“Honestly, I was put in a position this summer where I had to make a decision between my career and my family, and I chose family,” Trouba said Friday. “I pick my family over and over again 100 times. I don't feel bad about that. I was very happy. I don't like that it was necessarily made public and that everything played out in public, but… I think that's part of New York and what happens. It affected everything and made it difficult to play.
“An outcome is an outcome. I'm happy with the progress we made, but I'm not too thrilled with how it ended. In my opinion, things could have been handled better. I'm not blaming you, I just think it's a little unfortunate how it happened.”
Trouba, referring to a July report in the Post that his wife, Dr. Kelly Tyson Trouba, and her incomplete three-year stay at a New York hospital were factors in the Rangers pursuing a trade. He stood by his decision to do his best. The family expanded with the birth of Axel in January.
With the team heading into Friday night's game against the Penguins at Madison Square Garden with a 1-6 record, things were clearly becoming unsustainable for both the Rangers and Trouba.
So the Rangers traded Trouba to Anaheim in exchange for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
The fourth-round pick will be the lower of the Ducks' two picks in that round, but Anaheim will assume Trouba's entire $8 million cap hit, which will apply for one more season after this season.
It was clear that the offseason had a negative effect on Trouba, as he struggled on the ice with zero goals and six assists through 24 games.
Asked if outside circumstances affected his play, Trouba said: “Yeah, I was pretty open with the players and the leadership on the team.” “I mean, it was a little bit difficult to be a leader in that situation where you knew things publicly. I think if they were private and other people didn't know, it would have been a little bit easier for me. Things unfolded the way they did. There were certainly some tough times.”
Trouba expressed his excitement for this new chapter in Anaheim, noting it was similar to the situation he encountered in New York with young players in the summer of 2019.
Despite expressing a desire for things to be handled differently at the Rangers, Trouba looked back on his time with the Rangers positively.
“I mean, I loved it,” Trouba said of his time in New York. “Obviously it's a bit new, but if you take a little time to think about it, obviously captaincy is something very special. Two conference finals, the President's Trophy, and I feel like I had no idea what New York was all about, especially as a person. I feel like I've learned and grown. I've found a love for art, movies, and so many people who will become lifelong friends.
“A part of my heart is definitely in New York, and it's definitely a place I return to again and again. It's been a little over five years. I'm so grateful for all those memories. As I turn the page… , it's time to start something new.”
