Though the noise has died down since the start of NHL free agency on July 1, the New York Rangers and general manager Chris Drury still have a sticky situation on their hands with team captain Jacob Trouba. After the veteran defenseman blocked a potential trade to the Detroit Red Wings for personal reasons involving his wife’s medical residency in New York, the Rangers could have an unhappy captain and disgruntled locker room on their hands.

Former Rangers GM Neil Smith knows a thing or two about the ups and downs of running the franchise, overseeing the team’s rise to glory in 1994, complete with in-house battles with coach Mike Keenan, as well as their decline towards the end of the decade.

He shared his thoughts about the ongoing Trouba situation with Sean Cuthbert and Stefen Rosner on the Hockey Night in New York podcast last week.

“Now you’ve got some muddy waters with maybe the most important guy on your team — the captain — the guy that has the most influence in the locker room,” Smith said. “So it’s gonna be something that they’re gonna have to handle. It’s a bit of a mess.”

Smith confirmed the rumor that Trouba placed Detroit on his no-trade list after being asked for it in advance of July 1.

Vince Mercogliano of USA Today reported in a July 1 article that Trouba was “not pleased with the way this has gone down” and that “the state of the locker room is a concern.”

For the Rangers, this is all about business. They were attempting to create more salary cap space ahead of free agency by trying to trade Trouba and his $8 million AAV the next two seasons. But it’s obviously more personal for Trouba.

The 30-year-old’s play has undoubtedly declined, perhaps best embodied by an ugly postseason when he struggled mightily following a broken ankle in March. His play dipped even before the injury, so if he’s back as expected next season, it’s likely to be in a bottom-pair role alongside Zac Jones. Not optimal considering his salary, though Trouba remains an important part of the lineup because of his physical play, penalty killing and experience.

There’s also this. The 2024 Mark Messier Leadership Award Winner has been a massive presence in the locker room and a leader widely respected and beloved by his teammates.

“The thing that I’m surprised at is to allow this to happen publically,” Smith added. “This is your team leader. This is your captain. From what I understand, if the players had to vote to who should be the captain, they would still vote Trouba every time.”

This comes on the back of placing alternate captain Barclay Goodrow on waivers earlier this offseason, where he was claimed by the San Jose Sharks. Apparently this left both Goodrow and his former teammates upset. And this matter is even more pressing because, as it stands now, the Rangers are relying on Trouba to be an everyday player next season.

“They’ve got to get Trouba back,” Smith said. “If he’s mentally in trouble because of the fact that he feels not wanted, they’re gonna have to make him feel wanted again.”

That may be no small task. Drury’s desire to trade his captain became very public and has riled up a fanbase that was already upset with Trouba’s on-ice performance.

Rangers navigating difficult situation with Jacob Trouba

Smith also shed some light on the inner workings of running a franchise, suggesting that this situation may not be completely in Drury’s control.

“One thing people don’t understand is it’s sometimes not the general manager because he doesn’t have control of the purse strings,” Smith explained. “It’s really the owner’s money.”

Smith offered an example from his Blueshirts tenure when Mark Messier was due for a new contract in 1997.

“Our owners at the time didn’t want to pay him more than they paid [Wayne] Gretzky,” Smith explained. “They just were insistent with me ‘No, this is all you can offer.’ So that’s all I offered. The negotiations went back and forth for a while, and Vancouver threw so much money at him, he couldn’t possibly not go because the Rangers weren’t offering that.”

Perhaps Drury is facing orders from above to dump the contract. That wouldn’t necessarily justify the reports becoming so public — or ease tensions in the locker room for that matter — but it would force the Blueshirts GM, who’s spoken very highly of Trouba, into a tight corner.

Regardless, the Rangers have a potential mess on their hands and one that won’t be easily remedied, unless feelings are smoothed over. Drury must not only maintain a roster capable of winning the Stanley Cup, but ensure that the locker room isn’t broken in the process.