"Normally, a team might take the patient approach and give a respected leader and longtime core player like Trouba another shot to bounce back. But with Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Vincent Trocheck all on the wrong side of 30, there's extra urgency for the Rangers to win a Cup before their window closes. New York can't afford to waste any chances.
Finding a trade partner for Trouba would be the ideal scenario, even if it requires retaining a bit of salary. That might be complicated, though, because he has a full no-movement clause that transitions into a 15-team no-trade list as of July 1.
If a trade isn't possible, could the Rangers consider a buyout? It's clearly a long shot, but the math is palatable. Buying Trouba out would create $4 million of cap relief for each of the next two seasons at the expense of a $2 million dead cap charge for 2026-27 and 2027-28."
