When Jacob Trouba was traded to the New York Rangers, he signed a seven-year contract worth $56 million in the summer of 2019.

That included a full no-movement clause over the first five years. The cap hit was eight million for a player who was 25 at the time. He previously made $5.5 million for the Jets in 2018-19. So, it was a bit of an overpay.

In a contract year, Trouba put together his best season. He had eight goals while setting career bests in assists (42) and points (50) over 82 games for the Jets. That worked in his favor.

It took the Rangers over a month to sign him following the acquisition on June 17, 2019. Having traded for a player the organization wanted, they couldn’t afford to go to arbitration. Then, there wouldn’t have been any guarantees of keeping him. So, they committed over the long-term.

In retrospect, some hockey pundits would say that they signed Trouba for too long. However, he was in his prime. It’s always easier to second guess afterward. We all are guilty of doing it. The contract length is always risky when investing in a player. So, too, is handing out no-movement clauses. It’s that part that always seems to get the Rangers in trouble.

Look no further than Barclay Goodrow. A gritty player and proven winner with the Lightning, he was brought in to provide secondary scoring and valuable playoff experience. When they signed him for six years with a cap hit of $3.64 million, everyone knew they overpaid. But they again gave out a NMC for a role player.

Here’s the thing. Most fans liked the moves for Trouba and Goodrow. They needed those type of players to become more competitive.

In case you forgot, 2019-20 and 2020-21 weren’t successful under David Quinn. They were swept by the Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup qualifier in embarrassing fashion. Then, they missed the playoffs in the abbreviated 56-game season. Quinn was replaced by Gerard Gallant.

The arrival of Goodrow helped improve the roster. A versatile forward who could be plugged anywhere, that’s exactly how Gallant used him. While the upper echelon stars headlined a big 2021-22, Goodrow achieved career highs in goals (13), assists (20), and points (33). He proved his worth by doing a bit of everything.

Chris Drury made upgrades at the trade deadline by adding Andrew Copp, Frank Vatrano, Tyler Motte, and Justin Braun. Those key additions helped improve team depth. Despite that, things looked bleak when the Rangers fell behind 3-1 to the Penguins in the first round.

Facing elimination at home in Game 5, they fell behind 2-0. A series dominated by Sidney Crosby suddenly turned on an awkward Trouba open ice hit that injured the Pens captain. The Rangers rallied to win the game 5-3. Eventually, they came back to take the series on Artemi Panarin’s power-play goal in overtime.

That team went on a run to the Eastern Conference Final. They defeated the Hurricanes in seven games before losing to the Lightning in six. It was a series they led 2-0. But the Bolts’ championship experience proved to be too much.

Following a disappointing first round exit to the Devils, Gallant was fired. His failure to adjust in games contributed to the Rangers blowing a 2-0 lead. It was eerily similar to what happened against the Lightning. A lack of a structured defensive system didn’t help.

After taking their time, they hired Peter Laviolette last year. A much more hands-on coach who emphasizes discipline, he was the right fit. For most of the 2023-24 season, he relied on Trouba and K’Andre Miller as the shutdown pair. He also decided to make Goodrow a fourth line center who played mostly in his own end.

Following a 30-point season in which he was healthy for all 82 games, Trouba showed signs of slowing down. A rugged player who likes to hit and block shots, his skating became an issue this past season. There were instances when he was caught out of position on goals against. He and Miller had been together for a while. Miller also had his issues after a good start. At some point, something had to give.

An undisclosed lower-body injury didn’t help Trouba. He was banged up from the taxing style he played. Eventually, the Rangers placed him on the injured reserve in early March. He missed 13 games before returning on Mar. 30.

Somewhat predictably, nobody knew what the injury was. However, Trouba’s skating suffered. He wasn’t that fast to begin with. Even after coming back, he didn’t look the same. It was painfully obvious to those watching. Nobody clued in Laviolette, who, after a successful stint having Miller and Braden Schneider paired together, went right back to Trouba with Miller.

When they were on for a ridiculous amount of goals against, finally, Laviolette broke it up. He moved Trouba down to the third pair to play with Erik Gustafsson and reunited Miller and Schneider. That’s how they started the postseason.

After sweeping the Capitals, the Rangers led the Hurricanes 3-0. Overtime heroics from Vincent Trocheck and Panarin had them on the verge of a sweep. However, the Hurricanes took the next two games to make things interesting. At that point, Laviolette decided to stick Trouba back with Miller.

In Game 6, they fell behind 2-0 but rallied back thanks to Chris Kreider’s natural hat trick in the third period to win 5-3 and advance. Goodrow added an empty netter for his third goal of the playoffs. After a tough offensive season that saw him score only four goals, he stepped it up when it mattered most. That’s the kind of player he is.

In the Eastern Conference Final, it was Goodrow’s overtime winner in Game 2 that allowed the Rangers to tie the series against the Panthers. They’d blanketed Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Kreider.

In what was a lopsided Game 3, Goodrow had two more goals. After the Panthers rallied with two goals in the third period, the Rangers took it to overtime. Alex Wennberg tipped in a Ryan Lindgren shot to give them a 5-4 overtime win. As it turned out, that was the last game the Rangers won.

Game 5 proved to be a crusher. Kreider’s shorthanded goal was answered by Gustav Forsling. Anton Lundell put the Panthers ahead in a closely fought third period. After Sam Bennett’s empty netter, Alexis Lafreniere scored with 50 seconds remaining. But the Panthers slammed the door shut to hold on for a 3-2 win.

Late in the first period of Game 6, Trouba and Gustafsson each made costly mistakes that led to Bennett scoring the first goal. Gustafsson threw away the puck in the neutral zone right to Evan Rodrigues, who regained entry. Trouba went for the hit, which allowed Rodrigues to slide the puck over to Bennett for a shot that beat Igor Shesterkin with 50 seconds left.

Of course, Trouba took most of the blame from irate fans. He’d been on for a large number of goals during the playoffs. The fans’ frustration was understandable. However, Gustafsson’s folly is what caused the problem. As good a puck possession player as he is, he has a tendency to cough up pucks when pressured. That’s exactly what happened on that play. Trouba was culpable for not staying home. It was both of their responsibility.

When it comes down to it, all fans see is the salary Trouba makes. After the Rangers were eliminated by the Panthers, who held Panarin to a single goal with less than two minutes left in Game 6, Trouba told reporters that he suffered a broken ankle in March. It explained why he looked so hobbled. He never made any excuses, insisting that he’d recovered.

As the captain of the team, Trouba took full responsibility for his uneven play. Almost a month later, he’s been subject to trade rumors. The Rangers want him to submit his 15-team no-trade list so they can try to get out of the remainder of his contract. Even if they pick up 20 percent, they’ll create enough room to sign a scoring forward to help the top line while re-signing Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider to new contracts.

Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman said that they were having discussions with the Red Wings about Trouba. However, it wasn’t as close as he indicated on Saturday at the NHL Draft. That left many fans seeing red. Some crossed the line. They ripped into Trouba even going as far as to send personal attacks on social media. It was regrettable.

With Friedman later adding to his post Draft Thoughts column that Trouba was shocked to learn that he might be traded, it really put some perspective on a tough situation. After how Goodrow was unceremoniously dumped on waivers with an agreement reached for the Sharks to take him, even though they were on his no-trade list, such underhanded tactics don’t reflect well on the Rangers organization.

Things I did not leave Vegas with a great read on: Where things stand with Jonathan Marchessault and Vegas or Jacob Trouba and the Rangers. The Marchessault negotiation’s been a real grind. Trouba/Rangers could be a battle as he switches from a no-move to a partial no-trade. We saw what happened with Barclay Goodrow, and Trouba’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, is no shrinking violet. One of the challenges is that Trouba was shocked by the possibility he could be traded and is still coming to grips with it.

However, Drury is playing within the rules. Goodrow was never informed by the team that they planned to waive him. He was stunned. With Trouba being asked earlier to submit his 15-team no-trade list, he was equally as shocked. Friedman indicated that Trouba was still coming to grips with the possibility that he could be a goner.

If we’re being fair here, it’s true that Trouba’s play has declined. However, he’s always laid it all on the line. His physical style was one the Rangers lacked. That’s why they acquired him five years ago. They needed a second pair defensive defenseman who played with tenacity.

With Adam Fox becoming a star on the top pair, Trouba filled a void. For a while, he and Miller were a good tandem. They were trusted by three different coaches. Apparently, fans know more than hockey people. When Trouba’s play slipped and Miller struggled during the winter, it was obvious that a change had to be made. I recommended Gustafsson with Trouba while having Schneider team with Miller a while back. It finally came to fruition.

One thing Trouba has always done is sacrifice for the team. He led all Rangers’ defensemen in hits (191) and blocked shots (183) in 2023-24. That was even with missing 13 games.

At times, a few of those hits were questionable. He nearly decapitated Evan Rodrigues with an elbow that resulted in a minor penalty. It caused a heated debate from analysts on whether it deserved to be a major. He was suspended two games for elbowing Pavel Dorofeyev. He also was fined $5,000 for high-sticking Trent Frederic. An action he apologized for. There also was the flying missed hit on Martin Necas that saw Trouba with his elbow extended crashing into the boards.

Sometimes, he takes big risks. That’s the kind of player he is. If you judged him like the angry mob in Pittsburgh did, with their ridiculous conspiracy theories on the incidental collision with Crosby over two years ago, then you don’t understand the game. It’s played at a very fast pace. There will always be controversial open ice hits that cause injury due to the frenetic pace. It’s a much faster game now.

Whatever happens with Trouba, he’ll have to do a better job picking his spots in the future. Whether it’s as a Ranger or with another team, he’ll have to make an adjustment. If he doesn’t, he’ll gain a reputation as a dirty player.

In regards to those impatient fans who want to run him out of town by tomorrow, they don’t get it. Anytime a player hears their name come up in rumors, it isn’t easy. Obviously, Trouba likes it here. He wanted to come to New York City to play for the Rangers. That deserves more respect. It isn’t fun for an athlete to uproot a family. Put yourself in his shoes.

Not every free agent wants the spotlight. Panarin wanted it. He’s performed above and beyond the $11.64 million cap hit the Rangers are charged. After a disappointing third round, Panarin came under fire once more. He handled the criticism with class, admitting that he wished he had more goals on his stick.

The Panthers were the best defensive team all season long. They proved it by stifling Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to win the Stanley Cup in a memorable Game 7. Sometimes, you have to tip your hat to the opponent.

When the Rangers lose, there are always going to be players who are blamed. Zibanejad didn’t score a single goal in the Eastern Conference Final. He was limited to two assists while Kreider had a goal and assist. Trouba still became the easy target.

Despite the offense going quietly, along with the power play, it was Trouba who got most of the blame. That’s because when you don’t score enough, every goal becomes magnified. That’s exactly what happened against the Panthers. Unfortunately, Trouba wasn’t the only Rangers defenseman who struggled with Florida. Almost every player did.

Some fans cite analytics as the only reason for a player’s success or failure. Goodrow scored six goals in the playoffs, but these people turned it against him due to his shooting percentage. Would they have preferred he not score in overtime to even the series in the third round? What about the shorthanded goal he had in Game 3? They don’t even make overtime without his two goals and Lafreniere’s pair.

Sometimes, the analytics crowd can come off ignorant. Goodrow was one of the best Rangers skaters against the eventual champion Panthers. Laviolette never considered moving him up to the third line, which struggled to produce. Goodrow even would’ve been a better option than Jack Roslovic on the first line due to how he plays. Laviolette tried different combinations that didn’t work.

When the Sharks claimed Goodrow, picking up his full salary for the remaining three years, it was celebrated as if the Rangers won the Cup. Did I miss something? Goodrow had a better postseason than regular season. If it’s true that he made too much for what he did in large part because his ice time was minimized, at the very least, it can still be acknowledged that he was a positive during the team’s second run in three years to the Final 4.

Trouba doesn’t have to cooperate tomorrow. He’s under no obligation to. It’s up to the Rangers to work with him on agreeing to be traded to a team that isn’t on his 15-team list. How long will that take remains to be seen. At this point, if you’re Trouba, do you want to return knowing that they might not want you? It’s gotta be disappointing.

If he does get moved, who replaces him? It’s not an easy question to answer. The Rangers’ defense will be weakened from a physical standpoint. Schneider looks ready to play a bigger role.

If that’s the case and Lindgren re-ups, that leaves the third pair. Zac Jones deserves to be in the top six. He probably should’ve replaced Gustafsson against Florida. If it’s a third pair physical type that they need, there should be cheaper alternatives available. They will need a rugged defenseman to replace Trouba. Maybe that’s Nikita Zadorov. He certainly plays with the same intensity.

For the time being, Trouba is still a Ranger. Whatever happens shouldn’t lead to fans acting like entitled brats. There should be more respect shown.