Rangers sit Jacob Trouba in likely end to defenseman’s New York tenure

Jacob Trouba will be held out of the Rangers’ matchup with the Penguins Friday night for purposes of “roster management,” The Post has learned.

The decision appears to be a prelude for a trade for the Rangers captain.

The notion that Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury hasn’t spoken with Trouba is completely false, The Post’s Larry Brooks reported.

In fact, the two have spoken multiple times both in a group setting and one-on-one, including Friday morning.

It is believed that if Trouba does not accept a trade, the Rangers told No. 8 they will put him on waivers.

With Trouba held out, Victor Mancini was recalled from AHL Hartford and is expected to replace Trouba in the Blueshirts lineup.

This past summer proved to be the beginning of the end for Trouba and the Rangers.

The Rangers looked to move on from the 30-year-old defenseman, who was named the 28th captain in franchise history in the summer of 2022.

His recent play had him in line for a third-pair role this season and the organization could’ve used his $8 million cap hit elsewhere.

Despite his 15 no-trade list kicking in this last summer, however, Trouba did not want to uproot his family.

When signing his seven-year, $56 million contract with the Rangers in July 2019, after he arrived in New York via trade from Winnipeg as a pending restricting free agent, Trouba had his five-year no-movement clause designed to coincide with his wife, Dr. Kelly Tyson-Trouba, and the completion of her three-year residency at a New York hospital.

Her residency was deferred for a year at the start, so she was projected to finish in July 2025 instead.

The Troubas also welcomed their first child, Axel, in January.

Trouba’s on-ice performance to start this season appeared to be impacted by the offseason.

The captain who chucked the helmet in December 2022 to turn the whole season around was not giving the 2024 Rangers what they needed to do the same.

Through 24 games this season, Trouba has collected zero goals and six assists to go along with 22 penalty minutes and a minus-three rating.