Report: Rangers’ Jacob Trouba to miss game Friday due to ‘roster management’

Could Jacob Trouba be on the move?

According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba will not participate in the team’s morning skate on Friday and will not play in that night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins due to “roster management.”

Brooks also mentioned that he expects the Rangers to recall defenseman Victor Mancini from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Trouba has been rumored to be on the trade block for the last few weeks since general manager Chris Drury sent a memo out to the other 31 teams in the NHL stating that the Rangers are open to trading the veteran blueliner along with longtime Ranger Chris Kreider.

Even though the Blueshirts are technically still in playoff contention, they are far off the pace that led them to winning the President’s Trophy last season. The team has stumbled down the Metropolitan Division standings after losing six of its last seven games, including a disappointing 5-1 beatdown on home ice at the hands of the rival New Jersey Devils on Monday night.

Trouba hasn’t been producing as well as he has in the past. Through 24 games, the 30-year-old has posted just six assists, with a plus/minus of -3, while averaging 20 minutes of ice time per game. This comes after a down 2023-24 campaign in which he scored 22 points in 69 games, his lowest point total in three seasons.

If Trouba were to be on the move, it would be the first time since he was traded to the Rangers by the Winnipeg Jets in June 2019.

The Rangers (13-10-1) are currently fourth in the Metro, nine points out of first place. They hold the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, though they are tied in points with the Philadelphia Flyers.