This was as much a life decision as it was a hockey decision, and the Rangers ended up being the beneficiary — and might be for a long time.
The Blueshirts acquired 25-year-old righty-shot defenseman Jacob Trouba in a trade with the Jets in a slick move from general manager Jeff Gorton on Monday night that sent back defenseman Neal Pionk and the No. 20-overall pick — which had been obtained from Winnipeg in February’s deal that sent Kevin Hayes to the Jets as a rental.
Trouba is set to be a restricted free agent (with arbitration rights), but signing a long-term deal in Winnipeg never seemed to be an option.