5 Players the Anaheim Ducks Should Target in Preparation for a Retool

5 of 6

ST. PAUL, MN – APRIL 02: Jacob Trouba #8 of the Winnipeg Jets follows the play during a game with the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on April 2, 2019, in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /

2. Jacob Trouba, Right Defense, 25 years old, Winnipeg Jets

Pros

Jacob Trouba is everything Murray is looking for in a defenseman. He plays a physical brand of hockey, has a big shot and is a threat on the power play. When Dustin Byfuglien went down with an injury during the season, Trouba replaced him on Winnipeg’s top PP unit and he rose to the occasion with 18 points (3 goals and 15 assists).

Even when “Big Buff” returned from injuries, the coaches felt Trouba was producing too well to be replaced on the power play. JT8 was a player Anaheim Ducks fans thought the club was drafting when they reached for Hampus Lindholm with the 6th pick in the 2012 draft, which turned out just fine for both clubs. Being able to unit the 2 on the same blueline would be a treat and help stabilize the Ducks top 4 for the next 5 years.

Cons

The young blueliner has been very difficult to deal with when it pertains to a new contract. Trouba only has one year left on his contract and is expecting a raise that will likely have a higher cap hit than any defender on the Anaheim Ducks roster. While he’s good defensively, as evidenced by never being a negative player, he has average puck possession metrics (career average 50.1% Corsi) and lacks the overall consistency you’d expect from a player with his expected future cap hit.

Murray has been vocal about wanting leadership to emerge from his defense. Big Buff has maintained leadership on Winnipeg’s blueline, so it’s unknown if Trouba can fill that role.

Why He’s Available

As mentioned above, he is not a pleasure to negotiate with. His contract disputes with Winnipeg management have been highly publicized and he already stated there will be no, “Home town discount.” He has one year left on his contract and he’s slated for Free Agency, so the Jets are making him available to ensure they don’t lose him without a return.

There has been some recent speculation the Jets will potentially keep JT8 as their “own rental,” a la Columbus with Artemi Panarin (who isn’t on this list since Anaheim isn’t one of his preferred destinations.) If Murray pulls a trigger on Trouba, he knows the contract demands and an extension would be in short order.

Home/Ducks News