The 2019 NHL offseason isn’t even a week old and some teams are already planning out how to improve their squads to bring home the Stanley Cup in 2020. One of those teams is the New York Rangers. With new president John Davidson at the realm, anything is absolutely possible.
On Monday evening, the Manhattan-based hockey club announced they had acquired defenseman Jacob Trouba from the Winnipeg Jets. The team gave up defenseman Neal Pionk, as well as the 20th overall pick in Friday night’s draft.
Trouba, a 25-year-old Michigan native, spent his entire career with the Jets after being drafted by them in the 2012 NHL Draft. He was the ninth overall selection. The 2018-19 season was Trouba’s best as he posted fifty points, with eight goals and forty-two assists.
Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton spoke following the trade, saying, “We’re certainly getting a really good player, it’s exciting.”
Defenseman Brady Skjei, who grew up with Trouba in Michigan, is also very excited to have Trouba as a part of the Rangers. Skjei said, “He’s been one of my best buddies the last eight years.”
The New York Rangers are still in a bit of a re-building mode, but the acquisition of Trouba just shows that the team is going to do whatever it takes to win a Cup. No one, and I mean no one, is safe.
