Trouba, who had been the captain of the Rangers for the reason that begin of the 2022-23 season, had 136 factors (31 objectives, 105 assists) in 364 video games throughout his six seasons with the crew, together with six assists in 24 video games this season.
“I imply, I beloved it,” Trouba mentioned about his time with the Rangers. “This is recent, however taking a while to replicate, clearly the captaincy is extraordinarily particular. The day I used to be named captain is one thing I’ll all the time bear in mind. Two convention finals, Presidents’ Trophy and much more. So, I felt like I had no clue what New York City was after I received right here and I felt I’ve discovered and grown a lot as an individual. I discovered a love for artwork, I discovered numerous totally different those who I’ve met that I’ll be lifelong associates with. There will all the time be a chunk of my coronary heart in New York, some place I’ll undoubtedly come again to so much. Also, 5 years and a bit is a very long time and I’m very grateful for all these reminiscences. Now it’s time to show the web page and begin one thing new.”
Trouba has 315 factors (73 objectives, 242 assists) in 772 regular-season video games for the Rangers and Jets and 19 factors (4 objectives, 15 assists) in 74 playoff video games.
“When a participant of this caliber comes accessible, I needed to assist our crew, and I feel he improves our crew,” Ducks basic supervisor Pat Verbeek mentioned. “He provides us numerous depth on protection now. He’s a extremely good penalty killer. I feel he is received some underrated offensive abilities that most likely have not proven within the final 12 months or so. So, total, it provides our crew much more inflexible, bodily play to the remainder of our group, and for me, I’m attempting to make this crew higher. That is how I need us to play. I need us to be actually robust to play towards, and he definitely provides that component to our group.”
Vaakanainen, 25, has one help in 5 video games with the Ducks this season and is at the moment on injured reserve with an upper-body harm. A primary-round choose (No. 18) by the Boston Bruins within the 2017 NHL Draft, he has 25 factors (one aim, 24 assists) in 141 regular-season video games.
Anaheim (10-12-3), which misplaced 5-1 to the Minnesota Wild on Friday, is final within the Pacific Division.
“I feel anytime you convey a man in that’s performed in a Canadian market, Original Six market, and a captain [who’s] been in in numerous playoff sequence and actually good groups, I feel it helps,” Strome mentioned. “Not solely that, too, I feel a giant physique, simply to lean on some guys and be arduous to play towards. The method I feel our D is constructed, numerous our expert younger D are lefties, so I feel it compliments everyone fairly properly.
“I do know from speaking to him we’re going to have a extremely extremely motivated particular person with a little bit little bit of a weight off his shoulders that’s excited to play and needed to play in Anaheim, so I feel these are all positives and issues that may jumpstart our group going ahead, and I feel we’re all excited to have him.”
NHL.com unbiased correspondent Dan Arritt contributed to this report
