New York Rangers Jacob Trouba buries his team in latest comments

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Daniel Lucente
September 20, 2024 (2:55 PM)

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Jacob Trouba isn't a big believer in long-term goals with his New York Rangers. He stated that it's this season or bust for the team's core.

For three seasons now, the New York Rangers have come agonizingly close to making that deep Stanley Cup Playoff run but for various reasons, they've continually fallen short. There is no shortage of talent on this roster, headlined by the likes of Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, Artemi Panarin, and captain Jacob Trouba. But when it matters most, the deal hasn't been sealed.

It was an unforeseen twist when, during his first off-season interview, Trouba hinted that this may be the last push with this group of players.

«In all likelihood this will probably be the last crack for this core. I don't think it's a secret by any means.»

- Jacob Trouba

It's not exactly the kind of message you expect to hear from a captain, let alone the captain of one of the flag carrier franchises in the NHL. Still, Trouba spoke his mind after a summer in which there was plenty of speculation about him being traded. The Eastern Conference is so deep, and the Rangers have elite players at every position. If those stars rise to the moment when it matters most, they certainly can become contenders.

But if they don't for a third straight season, then it's difficult not to take into consideration what Trouba said: That ultimately, some tough decisions about its core will have to be made. The fact he was so candid this early in training camp adds an extra layer of intrigue to the Rangers' season, making them a storyline to follow.