New York Rangers Captain Jacob Trouba Has His Waiver Fate Confirmed As The 2pm Deadline Passes

The New York Rangers have been in the news lately, as they've struggled, losing seven in a row. Now, their captain, Jacob Trouba, won't dress for tonight's tilt against the Pittsburgh Penguins due to inside decisions.

This has left many wondering about his future with the club. There have been rumors that the Rangers might deal him away to a different team or waive him today.

With the 2 p.m. NHL waiver deadline now in the rearview, insider Elliotte Friedman, as well as several others, have confirmed that Jacob Trouba did not get placed on waivers by the team.

The floodgates are now widely open for him to get dealt, perhaps as early as today or tomorrow.

A team that has suddenly surfaced as a front-runner to acquire Trouba are the Anaheim Ducks, who have had issues of their own with Trevor Zegras. Fans will be keeping a close eye on that situation.

Friedman, appearing on Sportsnet, said the Rangers have received "several" trade calls on Trouba, but his partial no-trade clause, which permits him to block deals to 15 teams, complicates negotiations.

There's been speculation about Trouba's situation with the team since the offseason. Following a 6-2 loss to the Oilers on November 25, Friedman reported via Twitter that GM Chris Drury was looking at lineup changes as a way to get the team going.

Both Trouba and veteran forward Chris Kreider, the team's longest-serving player, emerged as possible trade candidates.

The 30-year-old defenseman is in the sixth year of a seven-year, $56 million contract. He has recorded six assists and a minus-three rating in 24 games this season, numbers that simply aren't good enough for a player of his caliber.