Rumor: Team willing to trade highly skilled defenseman but the price is high.

You rarely see a player this young with this much potential get dealt.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 7 years ago
Rumor: Team willing to trade highly skilled defenseman but the price is high.

One of the most interesting situations to monitor this summer has been that between the Winnipeg Jets, and their highly skilled and relatively young defenseman Jacob Trouba.

By all accounts Trouba is looking for a major payday and by all accounts the Winnipeg Jets are skeptical about committing that level of term and money to a player who has shown some signs of inconsistency in recent years, leaving the two sides in a deadlock that has now lasted until September. 

This week however we got a little more insight into the situation thanks to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman who was a guest on the NHL Network and addressed the topic directly.

“I still think there’s some roadblocks there with Trouba,” said Friedman as per Nichols on Hockey. “They announced their captains today. It was three guys there who signed long-term extensions with the team. Wheeler did it three years ago. Byfuglien did it last year. Scheifele did it this summer. I think there’s some question about Trouba too and this year. I don’t know where it’s going to go.

“The one thing I do think is this, and I’ve been told this. Some teams that were trying to potentially talk trade with Winnipeg for Trouba…"

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It sounds like prior to the summer Winnipeg was indeed willing to consider such a move, and they may still in fact be willing to do so, however sources within the league have told Friedman that a bit of good fortune for the Jets this summer has complicated things.

"You know, when Winnipeg got Patrik Laine in the draft – they ended up second – it complicated the whole process. Because Winnipeg at one point in time was looking for scoring. Well now, they’ve got a tremendous young scorer. A guy who is going to be a stud in this league."

It doesn't sound like the Jets are taking the option off the table, if anything the fact that he still isn't signed this late would seem to indicate it's been given serious consideration, Friedman does however believe that the acquisition of Laine has increased the price for Trouba.

“I’m not sure where that one’s going to go. But Winnipeg, I think, is looking at it and saying, ‘Hey, we don’t have as many needs now, so if you want to get Jacob Trouba off our hands, it’s going to have to be a great offer. We’re not just giving him away.’”

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