Jacob Trouba has strong start with pair of points in Rangers season opener

The New York Rangers started off the season with a dominant performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday. And captain Jacob Trouba played a pivotal role, contributing on both ends of the ice to the Rangers 6-0 victory.

Trouba had 18:35 minutes of ice time and finished the game with a plus-two rating. He contributed two primary assists on the night, led the team in blocked shots with five, and attempted six shots, with four being on goal.

Not a bad start for the much-maligned defenseman, who entered this season looking to improve on his 2023-24 numbers, which saw him accumulate three goals and 22 points, and all-around play.

It was a complicated offseason for Trouba, as rumors swirled that the Rangers would trade him to create more salary-cap space after a disappointing 2023-24 regular season and an even more troubling performance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. General Manager Chris Drury handled numerous questions about the state of his relationship with Trouba and how the situation would play out when Rangers training camp got underway, amid concerns that significant damage had been done to the team-player relationship.

When asked about the situation when he reported for training camp, Trouba acknowledged that trade talks are part of the business of hockey, noting “it’s no surprise or difference in how I act or approach things. A lot of people in the NHL can get traded at any time and that’s part of the business.”

Yet, knowing how competitive Trouba is, it’s no surprise that he’s taking a serious approach to this season, looking to regain his top form.

Jacob Trouba moves past offseason rumors, backs it up with impressive start

With the offseason drama behind him, Trouba came out firing, literally and figuratively, on Wednesday. Just 2:24 into the game, Trouba hammered a slap shot low and hard toward Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry which was deflected into the cage by Sam Carrick for New York’s first goal of the season.

Before the first period was over, Trouba picked up another assist. Again he drove a shot on net, this one saved by Jarry, and Chris Kreider buried the rebound to make the score 3-0 at the time.

Trouba partnered with Braden Schneider in the opener, the Rangers defense pairings altered because Ryan Lindgren is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Lindgren did take part in the morning skate Wednesday but has yet to participate in a full practice.

With Lindgren out, K’Andre Miller paired with Adam Fox; Trouba was with Schneider, who’s nicknamed “Baby Trouba;” and Victor Mancini made his NHL debut on a pairing with Zac Jones.

Trouba and Schneider had a successful night, contributing seven shots offensively and blocking eight shots in their own end. Schneider, who typically plays on the right side, played left defense with Trouba on the right. One game is obviously a small sample size, but the pair looked like they played well off of each other and were able to generate numerous chances for themselves and their teammates.

There may still be some growing pains with new defensive pairings as the season starts, and the Trouba-Schneider duo wasn’t perfect. They had four giveaways between the two of them. Trouba, who has at times taken penalties that have cost the team, looked disciplined for the majority of the game. He did take a minor penalty for tripping in the second period, but the Rangers killed it off.

So far, so good.