Jacob Trouba is number two in the eyes of Arctic Ice Hockey’s writers for the top 25 under 25, but he is clearly a key piece for the Winnipeg Jets period. He is their top defenceman and will be the one who bridges the gap when Dustin Byfuglien enters decline. Trouba is strong enough that he was capable of carrying Mark Stuart, so being the Jets number one guy should be no problem.
Trouba can play physical, he can make offensive plays, he can make defensive plays. He does whatever he needs to do to help the Jets win and now that he will be fully unchained from Stuart, he can fly. There is little that Trouba has not been able to do since he entered the league and he hopefully will continue to grow for the Jets.
Tim: Jacob Trouba has crushed top pairing minutes for three years now. The only thing holding him out of All-star consideration is his relatively low point totals. Trouba doesn't lack offensively though. He ranked 6th among all regular D in 5 on 5 points per minute last year. He ranks 36th in rated scoring over his career. If he played a regular shift on the powerplay, these numbers would surely grow.
Brian: I might get some backlash for this, but there's no player more important to the future success of the Winnipeg Jets organization than Jacob Trouba. Already the best defenceman on the roster and getting better by the year, re-signing Trouba to a long extension is necessary.
Andy: Jacob Trouba's absence at the beginning of last season was certainly noticed. He's a big part of the defensive core of the team, and the Jets had better make his next contract one that is long term rather another bridge.
