With reports Friday suggesting that New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba’s time in Manhattan may be coming to an end, there’s no denying he still has plenty of support in the New York locker room.

“As far as I know, it’s a decision between the team and him,” center Mika Zibanejad told USA Today’s Vince Mercogliano. “As a player, as a teammate, as a friend and as a person, we love him more than anything.”

Earlier Friday, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported that Trouba will be excluded from the Rangers’ morning skate for roster management reasons and will not participate in Friday’s game against Metropolitan Division rivals the Pittsburgh Penguins.

If the Rangers and general manager Chris Drury move on from Trouba, the defenseman will have some say in the process because, according to PuckPedia, he has a 15-team no-trade clause and an annual average value of $8 million. Trouba still has one full season left on his contract, then his no-trade clause will also be reduced to 12 teams.

Trouba’s name has been the subject of speculation for some time, since it surfaced last offseason and again in recent weeks when Drury informed his general manager colleagues of the blue-liner’s availability.

In 24 appearances during the 2024-25 season, Trouba collected six points, all of which came as assists. The 30-year-old Rochester, Michigan native finished last season with 22 points, three goals and 19 assists in 69 games.

The Rangers originally acquired Trouba from the Winnipeg Jets in 2019 in a deal that saw the Blueshirts part with that year’s first-round draft pick and rearguard Neal Pionk.

This season, the Rangers are 13-10-1, good for 27 points and the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Without Trouba in the lineup, the club will look to return to the winning list against the Penguins on Friday after losing 5-1 to the rival New Jersey Devils on Monday.