The Winnipeg Jets announced on Monday that they resigned restricted
free agent defenseman, Jacob Trouba to a two year, six-million-dollar contract.
Jets general manager, Kevin Cheveldayoff noted that the
signing will help the organization fill a void on the blue line, with Tyler
Myers and Mark Stuart out due to lower body injuries.
He said, “It is
something we are very excited to be able to announce today. Obviously, a lot of
work goes into these types of things. Today we were able to come to terms.”
Cheveldayoff added, “Jacob
means a great deal to our organization. These things take time. We are very
excited about this announcement and moving forward, putting everything that has
happened or what was said behind us.”
Back in September, the 22-year-old defenseman requested a
trade out of Winnipeg. His agent, Kurt Overhurt, noted at the time, that Trouba
had become disgruntled over not playing on his favored side of the ice, and had
hoped a trade would help him find his full potential as a right-handed
defenseman.
The ninth overall pick in the 2012 National Hockey League
Entry Draft, has suited up in 211 games for the Jets over the past three
seasons. During the 2015-2016 season, he put up six goals and 15 assists with a
plus-10 rating in 81 games.
Cheveldayoff and Overhurt met with each this past Friday, during
the Jets game against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Trouba had been
continuing his training in Detroit, while he was waiting for a contract offer.
Cheveldayoff said, “He
is a hockey player, he wants to play hockey. I am glad he has that opportunity
now to continue that process.”
The general manager hopes that the Jets will be able to have
Trouba in the lineup on Tuesday night when they face off against the Dallas
Stars. As he has not played since the World Cup of Hockey this past summer, he
may not be in game shape yet.
Cheveldayoff did note that Trouba is a popular player in the
dressing room and should be welcomed back by his teammates. Many of the Jets
players had hoped during training camp that the team would resign him.
The general manager said, “Everybody that is in this game knows that there is a business side to
the game. There are the contracts, the collective bargaining agreement, all the
things that make the game tick are there. When the players are in the room,
that is their family, that is their team. When someone is out for whatever
reason, those are the things that teams deal with. But certainly, within the
room, I think he will be welcomed back and it is going to be an exciting time
to continue our building process.”
He added, “He is a
young player here that can play a lot of minutes and can do a lot of different
things from a playing standpoint. Getting Jacob back, once he rounds into form
here, that will certainly to help us improve with the young players we have in
the lineup.”
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