Rangers actively shopping Trouba, Kakko

The Stanley Cup has been awarded, and now we have a very quick 3 days before the 2024 NHL Draft. This means rumors come fast and furious, with some more realistic like The Fast and the Furious and others not realistic at all, like Fast 6, Fast 7, Fast 8, Fast 9, etc. What appears to be true though is the Rangers actively shopping Trouba and Kakko.

Kaapo Kakko was always seen as one of the better trade bait pieces the Rangers can offer up this offseason. He’s a solid two-way player that just doesn’t mesh with what the Rangers are trying to do. Still, he’s cheap at $2.5 million, one of the better defensive forwards, and has put up a 17 goal pace each of the last two seasons.

Jacob Trouba is the harder sell, with an $8 million contract the next two seasons and a very clear decline in his play. There’s strong belief, despite what the Rangers said, that Trouba played on a broken ankle in the final month of the regular season and throughout the playoffs.

The Rangers actively shopping Trouba and Kakko shouldn’t be a surprise. Whether something comes of it remains to be seen. Neither are really strong pieces if the Rangers want to do a Matt Tkachuk type deal, and Kakko’s trade value is all over the place.

Despite the Rangers actively shopping Trouba and Kakko, it’s unlikely they get “dumped” in a deal. Kakko is a bargain at $2.5 million for his production and defensive play. Trouba is still the captain and well respected in the locker room, he’s just a tough sell as an $8 million 3RD for a team with a few holes that need to be filled.

Trouba’s no-move clause does not become a no-trade until July 1, so it’s unlikely he gets moved before then. Kakko, if moved, will likely be at the draft.