Jacob Trouba, Is he a bad guy? Is he a bad defenseman? Is he hurting the Rangers public relations and Cap situation all at once? There are so many questions – as well as answers – that it might take the combined resources of Mandrake The Magician and Taylor Swift to get a handle on what has grown into a colossal midsummer Blueshirt mess. Like yourself, I'm wondering which magician or rock star can figure this one out. But, in all fairness, – and for sanity's sake – we must at least give it a try. For starters, the Rangers management is to blame for overpaying the defenseman beyond all reason. In any sane world, an analysis of Trouba's value would indicate that he is being paid twice as much as he's worth. To underline that point, The Maven consulted with a long-time Canadian hockey analyst – no names at the Cafe Discreet – to give me a scouting report on Jake The Rake. Trouba at practice. "He has a reputation as a 'hitter,'" the analyst explained, "but half the time he takes himself out of position to make a hit and half the time he misses or gets a foolish penalty." Not only did the MSG high command err in overpaying an average blue liner but they compounded the stupidity by naming him franchise captain. "The captaincy should have gone to a 'pure' Ranger such as Chris Kreider," the analyst added. "Or even someone like Mika Zibanejad; possibly even a respected defenseman such as Adam Fox who has proven his worth." Assuming that Trouba actually refused a trade to Detroit, the player himself is to blame for lousing up the franchise that has so immensely enriched his riches. How selfish is that? (You know the answer.) So what we have is a messy situation where both sides are to blame and a realistic solution is about as close as the Isle of Capri. Furthermore, it will get worse if Trouba remains a Ranger in October and his ice deportment is worth something in the range of a C-minus grade. In the end, the high command must take the blame. It spoiled him with so much dough, and encouraged Trouba to believe that he's worth a fortune-and-a-half. If Igor Shesterkin's agent is studying this case in relation to Shesty's next contract, look out! It shouldn't surprise anyone if Igor's rep's first request is that Iggy becomes the highest-paid goalkeeper in NHL history. And while they're at it, throw in the U.S. Mint as well!
