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Jacob Trouba’s arbitration date set |
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Larry Brooks broke the news yesterday as to when Jacob Trouba’s arbitration hearing is scheduled. The hope/expectation is that the two sides won’t make it to the hearing, as initial discussions on a long-term deal, as reported a little over a week ago, have already taken place. Of course as we have seen in the past, the likelihood is that the two sides will settle the morning of July 25, either right before or during the time when the hearing is to take place.
Brooks wrote this on Trouba nearly two weeks ago:
General manager Jeff Gorton had substantive contract talks with Jacob Trouba’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, at the draft in Vancouver, The Post has learned. The parties did not reach an agreement, but the pending restricted free agent defenseman, acquired on June 17 from Winnipeg for the 20th-overall pick in the draft and Neal Pionk, is expected to sign a seven-year deal in the tony neighborhood of $7.5-8 million per season.
This is what I wrote in my June 28 blog:
Trouba made $5.5 million last season. We expected a deal to be at the $7 million level at a minimum. The reported $ figure doesn’t shock me. While several may view that being an overpayment, based on what we have seen to date from Trouba and the belief that his performance last season is repeatable and that he might have another level to go to, I am fine with that figure. Of course, every extra dollar he receives impacts the remainder of the team, especially with several RFAs to be re-signed – Pavel Buchnevich, Brendan Lemieux and Tony DeAngelo the most prominent, – the pursuit of Panarin (which we know came to fruition) and determination on how to proceed with Chris Kreider also factoring in the mix. I wonder if Gorton waits to sign Trouba until after some of these items are resolved, hoping to get him at the lower rather than higher end of that range.
I wrote this Friday:
Trouba last season made $5.5 million as a Winnipeg Jet. One year away from unrestricted free agency, Trouba is likely to sign a long-term deal with New York. It’s possible he takes a one year deal at a mild raise with a handshake agreement to sign a long term deal in January in the expected $7.5-$8 million range. But doing so puts him at risk to losing that contract if he suffers an injury.
If Trouba does opt a one-year handshake deal, sort of like what Henrik Lundqvist signed before he inked his long-term deal that following January, figure the contract will be in the $6.5 million range, saving New York about 1 million. To me, as I noted above, that happening is a long shot. I would prefer the two sides don’t make it to arbitration, avoiding the contentiousness that existed between Trouba and Winnipeg. A six- or seven-year deal in the $7.5-8 million range, eating up much of the Rangers’ available cap space, is the probable end result. Don’t be surprised if we see a deal made to free up cap room just before Trouba is signed if the longer dated contract is the end result.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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