Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Jacob Trouba non roster news hits Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres as the former New York Rangers captain heads home following life-changing news.
The Ducks listed Jacob Trouba as «non roster» Saturday because he returned home for the expected birth of his child, meaning he will not play in Buffalo tonight.
That «non roster» label can sound scary if you do not see it often, but Anaheim has used it before for the same reason. The Ducks previously designated players non roster to attend a child’s birth, and it is treated like a personal leave.
Jacob Trouba has returned home for the expected birth of his child. Won’t play tonight in Buffalo.
Officially «non-roster» today.
It also explains why the team and reporters keep the details short. The hockey part is obvious, the life part is private, and nobody needs more than that.
He is not just a name on a headline either. Trouba is 31, carries an $8 million cap hit, and he is in the final year of that seven year deal, so every missed game gets noticed.
Jacob Trouba non roster move tests Anaheim Ducks depth
On the ice, Anaheim has leaned on him for hard minutes, and he has chipped in offense too, while tallying seven goals and 18 points this season, which is strong production from a defenseman built for contact.
The Ducks now have to cover a right shot defender’s minutes in a road building, and Buffalo can smell that kind of disruption early. The Sabres already beat the Rangers 5-2 on Thursday, so they are not exactly limping into this one.
Trouba’s bigger story remains pretty clean. He was a ninth overall pick in 2012, he has played heavy NHL minutes for more than a decade, and this absence is about family, not decline.
The next milestone is simple and human, get the family news everyone hopes for, then see how quickly Anaheim can put its blue line back into normal shape.
Previously on NY Hockey Insider