The Jets Can’t Trade Trouba…
Flames on the on the Jacob Trouba fire were stoked a bit yesterday after laying low for most of the summer. These were not regular rumour-type flames, the where there is smoke there is fire thing, there was some substantial meat on this reveal.
It came via Elliotte Friedman who as any hockey fan knows is beyond reproach when it comes to honesty and integrity and there’s no reason to believe this situation is any different. What Friedman said points to the problem that both the Jets and Trouba’s camp now have, and it was all based around luck.
The issue was that when the Jets landed Laine it may have solved their need to add scoring. Thus, if there was going to be a trade the Jets did not have to look for the same return, it was believed they wanted, before they had Laine. Now they need to have defence come back in any deal that should involve Trouba and that’s going to make any potential deal much more difficult.
Who has the leverage now? Winnipeg or Trouba?
However, the reality is the Jets can’t trade Trouba if they do not have anything coming back that is comparable The system for defence is not deep in Winnipeg.
A quick look at the Jets website under the prospects listings gives you this list of up and coming defence:
Cederholm Green Karlstrom Kitchon Kostalek Morrissey Niku Nogier Poolman Stanley Melchiori
Of that group there is Morrissey and recent 2016 pick Stanley who probably jump out to fans. Tucker Poolman is an interesting prospect just down I29 in Grand Forks ND but he has ‘seemed’ resistant to turning pro. So where do you put your future in that group? Remember that this group has to look up top and see both Stuart and Enstrom (the only LHD) coming to an end in two years as Jets. There’s opportunity coming but what about Trouba?
If you take Trouba out of the defence right now you have 3 players over 30 years old and then Myers and newly acquired Brian Strait and the often over-looked Paul Postma. Melchiori would be the likely first call-up.
This is a group woefully thin after the Byfuglien, Enstrom and Myers with Trouba not there. There is some suggestion that Trouba might be gone at some point if negotiations drag on and that should be worrying to the Jets. They need a return on the blue line and it an’t be a quantity vs quality issue, it has to be the latter. And that’s why there is no deal now as Friedman alluded, if there was to be one at all. The Jets’ needs have changed and if you had Laine would you be looking to dump your top young defence player? No, you want both.
Simple issue here is how do the Jets get around this obstacle if indeed there is an issue with Trouba? They can’t afford to lose him with no comparable replacement. Enter the words ‘hockey deal’ and then try to imagine one, it’s not easy in this cap world for NHL GMs. Add to the fact that there are few players in Trouba’s situation, age and contract status, and the possibility of that deal get even more remote.
There may have been a time to trade Trouba but if the Jets are building a winner, a team that can compete for Stanley Cups, then he’s not expendable anymore without the right return. That return is now a lot more specific as Friedman has revealed which means any trade becomes much tougher to make.
More as it comes.