Yahoo Sports Report: Ducks Wanted Fowler included in Trouba Deal, Rangers Declined
The Anaheim Ducks acquired defenseman Jacob Trouba on Friday from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
Report: Ducks and Fowler 'Working on What His Future Could Look Like'
Trouba's exit was as dramatic as they come, but he looks ahead to a new beginning in Orange County as a member of the Anaheim Ducks.
He is set to make his Ducks' debut on the team's four-game road trip starting on Monday evening in Montreal.
The Ducks now have a crowded blueline that features eight NHL-caliber defensemen.
With the recent return of Cam Fowler from an upper-body injury, the Ducks were forced to scratch 2022 10th-overall pick Pavel Mintyukov for their last two games.
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Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Monday during his "32 Thoughts" Podcast that the Ducks hoped to send Fowler to the Rangers in the deal for Trouba.
“I heard that Anaheim wanted Fowler in this deal. I have no doubt Fowler wanted to be in this deal," Friedman said. "It’s been out there: he wants to be traded, he wants to play for a contender. I never heard Vatrano’s name in it, but I did hear Fowler’s. At the end of the day, they couldn’t get it done. I think one of the reasons is New York wanted the flexibility for both this year and next.”
Friedman was the first to report ahead of the 2024-25 season that Fowler and the Ducks were "working on what his future could look like" with the organization.
Fowler's contract is set to expire after the 2025-26 season and carries a cap hit of $6.5 million and a four-team "yes list" in his no-trade clause.
"I believe Cam Fowler and the Anaheim Ducks are working on what his future could look like," Friedman said in Sept. "I don’t think this is a negative. I believe the player and the team are working together on this.
"What I’ve heard is that Fowler has indicated a willingness to talk to more teams than that and consider more teams than that," Freidman added. "Fowler has a lot of respect around the league. There will be interest. I don’t think anybody will be surprised if sometime this season Cam Fowler is elsewhere."
The Ducks have five left-shot defensemen on their current roster: Fowler, Olen Zellweger, Jackson LaCombe, Brian Dumoulin, and Mintyukov. As currently constructed, two of those players (likely two of the younger players) will have to be healthy scratches.
“I’m looking at that left side. We know Fowler’s out there. I’m sure (the Ducks) aren’t trading Mintyukov or Zellweger. That’s their future, but I can only imagine how frustrated Mintyukov is with not playing right now," Friedman continued. "So, you have to think that’s going to open up something there. The Ducks are going to have to deal with that on some level.”
In adding Trouba, the Ducks have created a problem on their blueline with the amount of quality players they have. However good of a problem it is, it would seem something has to give with valuable ice time and development on the line.
