Former NHL GM (for both the New York Rangers and Islanders) Neil Smith recently weighed in on the ongoing conflict between Jacob Trouba and the Rangers during an appearance on the Hockey Night NY podcast. Smith expressed his disbelief over the Rangers’ handling of the situation, particularly the public manner in which trade discussions were conducted. According to Smith, the Rangers’ lack of discretion may have jeopardized their plans for a potential trade to the Detroit Red Wings.
Smith stated, “The thing that I’m surprised about in that situation is to allow this to happen, and to allow it to happen publicly.” He revealed that once Trouba and his camp learned of the Rangers’ interest in trading him to the Red Wings, they moved quickly to block the move. It’s not clear how much of that was out of fear he might be moved to Detroit or spite that the Rangers let it leak they potentially had a trade destination for their captain.
The Rangers Should Have Kept Trade Talk About Trouba Discrete
Smith explained that the Rangers didn’t do themselves any favors by letting trade talk get out of control. He noted:
“Now you go to him and it leaks out that you’ve talked to Detroit because he’s a Michigan guy… and now you ask him for his 15-team no-trade list. They say, ‘Well, screw you, we’re not giving it to you until July 1st,’ and what do they do? They put down Detroit as one of the 15 no-trade teams because it’s already gotten out there.”
The fallout from this mishandling could have serious implications for the Rangers. Trouba, as the team captain and a key influence in the locker room, may have his relationship with the team strained by these events. Smith pointed out the potential impact on Trouba’s performance, saying, “Now you’ve got some muddy waters with maybe the most important guy on your team, the captain, the guy that has the most influence in the locker room. It’s something they are going to have to handle.”
The Rangers might have undermined their own efforts to trade Jacob Trouba by not keeping their intentions confidential, potentially leading to internal discord and affecting team dynamics. How Trouba responds or if he accepts a trade elsewhere remains to be seen.
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