Trouba manning blue line for Jets still strong possibility

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/09/2016 (3326 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It turns out Winnipeg Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba asked for a trade in May. My heart dropped into my stomach when I heard the news last weekend.

I wrote a Trouba column in early August, focusing on the good and the bad a right-shot defenceman playing left defence has to deal with. I played my off side from novice hockey through pro. I knew if I struggled with some things, he would have had problems in the short time he’s had to adapt. I understood why the restricted free agent hadn’t signed a new deal at that point.

Free Press sports columnist Paul Wiecek’s popular (with many commenters) “… letting Trouba rot” column last weekend quoted Trouba on that very matter.

“In some cases, it’s easier, and in some cases, it’s harder,” Trouba told Wiecek at the recent World Cup of Hockey. “Pulling pucks off the boards or picking up pucks off the boards in the offensive zone is a little different because you’re on your backhand and have to drag it all the way to your forehand and you don’t have that much time in a lot of situations. So that’s one case.”

In August, I pointed to that aspect as the most troublesome for me. I also mentioned I felt there are many good things about the left position — a full season paired with Dustin Byfuglien would help Trouba appreciate it more.

Trouba acknowledged the same to the Free Press: “(But) wheeling (around) the net, coming out of your own end, you’re wheeling on your forehand, which is obviously easier than coming around your backhand. So, it’s just stuff you have to get comfortable with.”

This is one of many positives for me, and brings hope this Trouba-Jets thing might still work.

Since the startling trade-request announcement last week, there’s been a fan and media train looking to run over Trouba (and particularly agent Kurt Overhardt) — even though all we’ve heard from Trouba is he wants a top-four position defending the right side of the ice. He understandably feels he could produce more offence (and be paid more) if he played his natural position in the top four. Perhaps the Jets and Trouba can close the monetary gap regarding this projection.

Most hockey players turn their financial lives over to their agents with complete trust, preferring to just play the game they love. Is this hardline bargaining by his agent, or his real wish to get out of Winnipeg?

What if May’s trade request was simply an attempt to force management to make a choice between Tyler Myers and Trouba, as it would immediately increase Trouba’s power-play time and fulfill his wishes at even strength?

If the Jets trade Trouba, they will be trading their second-best defenceman behind Byfuglien. I briefly polled my Jets timeline on Twitter on who was better — Myers or Trouba — with Trouba garnering only 53 per cent support (393 votes total), which shocked me. With passionate arguments from both sides, the analytics crew is clearly in favour of Trouba. My eyesight heartily agrees with that assessment. There isn’t time today for all the reasons and numbers, but I’ve spoken to the ways Myers could improve — and being the third- or fourth-best Jets defenceman is not a knock on him.

One of the arguments: Myers must be better because he plays in the top four when the Jets are rolling six defencemen. I believe that’s because head coach Paul Maurice believes Trouba’s best suited to prop up Mark Stuart, and he’s able to react to Stuart’s mistakes because of his great agility. After all, Trouba was slated to start in the top pair with Byfuglien this season. Case closed.

There are those who squirm at the thought of a player trying to dictate his usage. I understand it, but why wouldn’t Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff gauge what trade value there is in the league for Myers, who is four years older than Trouba and has a lower ceiling? All that matters is that the team gets better.

Some fans are concerned the situation will split the dressing room.

Popular Jets forward Mathieu Perreault came out swinging and denounced Trouba’s demands, something not unexpected. Perreault signed a four-year extension this summer for US$16.5 million and made a significant commitment to Winnipeg, which surely factored into him speaking out.

Most players are willing to forgive a teammate, even if they felt slighted at some point — a sincere apology and explanation is enough. There are also likely some in the Jets room who silently understand Trouba’s stance, although no one is happy about the distraction. Sometimes, we forget NHL players are humans and suffer from the same frailties as those in other professions. If Trouba signed tomorrow, within a few days, teammates would be laughing about the distress he caused and he’d have to buy a big dinner.

Cheveldayoff and Maurice have surely spent time since May trying to convince Trouba to stay. How hard the GM has worked the trade phones is unknown, but he’s not going to panic. Look at how long it took him to trade Evander Kane — it took a track suit being thrown in the shower before a deal was struck. Dec. 1 may be Trouba’s “track suit day” — if he remains unsigned by then, he will be sitting out the remainder of the season.

I see the path from “pay me for what I can do if you play me in better situations” to “you paid me for the future I thought I could have, now where’s the left side?”

Until we find out for sure if this is really more than about money, I’m not discounting anything.

Chosen ninth overall by the NHL’s St. Louis Blues and first overall by the WHA’s Houston Aeros in 1977, Scott Campbell has now been drafted by the Winnipeg Free Press to play a new style of game.

Twitter: @NHL_Campbell