According to a league source, New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba will miss Friday night as the team works to either trade him or place him on waivers.

Either way, it looks like the team’s captain is out as a Ranger with immediate effect.

Trouba, who has one year left on his contract at an $8 million cap hit, didn’t want to leave the Rangers this summer when general manager Chris Drury wanted to shake up the team’s veteran core. Trouba’s wife, Kelly, is in her final year of residency at a New York hospital, and Trouba didn’t want to uproot her.

Now it seems like there is no other choice. Drury sent a memo to the NHL’s 31 other GMs two weeks ago saying he would listen to offers, particularly those involving Trouba or veteran forward Chris Kreider. Now, Drury is signaling his willingness to go down the same path he took with Barclay Goodrow in June — perhaps waiving Trouba so a team on his 15-man no-trade list can claim him and not have to give up anything in return .

The threat of waivers could also put pressure on Trouba to waive his no-trade clause so he can have some control over where he ends up.

Accordingly The athleteThis is Pierre LeBrunThe Rangers have multiple deals on the table for Trouba, but all would require a no-trade waiver.

The Rangers have called up Victor Mancini to take Trouba’s place in the lineup. The 22-year-old, also a right-back, surprised in training camp and has played 10 games this season.

Removing Trouba’s $8 million cap hit would give Drury plenty of flexibility to bolster the team’s defense, which has been missing all season, particularly during a 1-6-0 loss before Friday’s game against the Penguins.

Trouba, 30, signed a seven-year contract worth $8 million per year after expelling himself from Winnipeg in the summer of 2019, preferring to play for a team in the United States to be closer to his wife, Kelly his, who was studying medicine at the time.

Trouba was named captain of the Rangers ahead of the 2022-23 season and was praised by Drury as a leader of the team. Now, just over two years later, his time in New York is over.

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(Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)