Jacob Trouba: No animosity with Rangers despite trade rumors

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. -- New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba said there isn't "any animosity" with management after offseason reports that the team was trying to trade him.

Trouba, 30, has two years left on a seven-year contract that carries a cap hit of $8 million. His contract shifted from a full no-movement clause to a partial 15-team no-trade clause on July 1. Multiple reports indicated that the Rangers asked Trouba for his no-trade list while he still had a full no-movement clause, an indication that they were trying to trade him.

"I don't think there was any animosity throughout the whole thing. Per my contract, I owe the list to them on June 30th. I knew that was coming. I think that's a pretty standard part of contracts when a no-trade list has to be submitted. There's a date that has to be done by. It's just standard contract business," said Trouba, speaking at the start of Rangers training camp Thursday.

Rangers general manager Chris Drury said this week that communication with Trouba has been good.

"We've had a number of different conversations over the course of the summer, on a lot of different things. He is very clear as to where he stands with me and what I think of him as a player and as a leader," he said.

Trouba expressed frustration about the speculation surrounding his future with the Rangers, saying "there's a lot of things that were said and snowballed." He mentioned media reports about his wife, Dr. Kelly Tyson-Trouba, and how her residency at a New York hospital might have impacted potential trade destinations. Trouba cited her medical career as a factor in accepting a trade to the Rangers from the Winnipeg Jets in 2019.

"People just run with random things. I'd love to find someone to verify a source. That would be nice. But that's not the standard, I guess, in media. So we'll leave it with that," he said.

Trouba said he wanted to remain in New York.

"I love living here. I love New York. My family loves it here, as everybody is now aware of," he said. "I'm happy to be here and excited to be back."

He said he "couldn't care less" about his name being in trade rumors last summer.

"I knew that was coming that summer. It's not by surprise. It's part of pro sports. I can get traded now. I know that. I knew that when I signed the contract that at this moment that I could get traded," Trouba said. "So, there's no difference in how I act or approach things. A lot of people in the NHL can get traded at any time and that's part of the business."

The Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference final last season, losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in six games. It was their second trip to the conference final in three seasons.

Coach Peter Laviolette said Thursday that Trouba was "a really good captain for us last year" and a key part of the Rangers' leadership group.

Trouba believes it's now or never for this incarnation of the Rangers.

"In all likelihood, this will probably be the last crack for this core. I don't think that's a secret by any means. So we're a group that's kind of grown together, spent some years together here and we have something we want to accomplish," he said.