New York Rangers defenceman Jacob Trouba is looking to begin the next chapter of his professional career without distraction, but he had one final parting shot for his former club.
Squaring off against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, Trouba placed all his pent-up frustration into a booming slapshot that clinked off the bar and into the net for his first goal of the season.
If you're near a Rangers fan, pinch him/her. First, Panarin, now Jacob Trouba.
— ESNY (@EliteSportsNY) October 4, 2019
But wait, Wheeler does it again. 3-3 game and Henrik Lundqvist has to make that save. #NYR pic.twitter.com/WVWkllRx7p
It’s easy to label every game for a high-calibre player against their previous team as a revenge game, but in Trouba’s case, it certainly rings true. Trouba requested a trade in September 2016 before begrudgingly agreeing to a two-year extension with the Jets. After the end of the 2017-18 playoffs, Trouba filed for salary arbitration, where he was granted a one-year, $5.5 million contract.
Trouba’s trouble with the Jets didn’t end there. Both parties couldn’t reach an agreement at the end of the year, and Trouba was mercifully traded to the Rangers on June 17. A month later, Trouba reached a seven-year deal worth $56 million with the Rangers, finally gaining the long-term stability he sought with the Jets.
There are few feelings better than getting the Madison Square Garden crowd rocking but Trouba’s moment was short-lived Thursday, as Jets captain Blake Wheeler scored nine seconds later to even the game at 3 apiece.
It’s easy to forget that Trouba is just 25 years old, and with vengeance out of his way, the blueliner can focus on a potential career year ahead with the Rangers.
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