We began this week wondering if the New York Rangers still intended to trade defenseman Jacob Trouba. The 30-year-old Rangers captain was reportedly close to being shipped to the Detroit Red Wings in late June but used his no-movement clause to block that deal.

Some pundits pondered whether the Rangers could keep trying to trade Trouba. There was also some speculation about placing him on waivers or buying out the final two years of his contract.

Most observers, however, believed Trouba would remain on the Rangers’ roster when their season began in October.

On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reported the Rangers had no plans to move out Trouba this summer. Doing so would force them to go shopping for a third-pairing defenseman who kills penalties and can occasionally take on more playing time as required.

The free-agent market is picked clean of quality talent, and there are few suitable trade options.

Staple noted that Trouba is handling this situation like a professional and won’t let the trade attempt affect his play or interaction with his teammates this season. However, he also believes it’s a near-certainty that the veteran defenseman could be traded next summer.

By then, Trouba will have a year left on his contract and only a 15-team no-trade list. His wife is expected to have ended her medical residency by next summer, a key reason why he blocked a trade to Detroit.

Turning to the St. Louis Blues, they announced Tuesday that Torey Krug was diagnosed with pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle. The 33-year-old defenseman will be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks as he attempts to rehab the condition. If his condition hasn’t improved, he’ll undergo season-ending surgery.

Krug is entering the fifth season of his seven-year contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million and a full no-trade clause. He used that clause last summer to block a trade to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Last week, the Blues raised some eyebrows by signing free agent Ryan Suter, creating a glut of nine defensemen on one-way contracts. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic speculated they could ship one of them out via trade, noting Krug had recently resurfaced in the rumor mill.

On Tuesday, Rutherford indicated Krug’s diagnosis nullifies any possibility of moving the veteran defenseman. If he agreed to waive his no-trade clause, no club will pursue a player potentially facing season-ending surgery.