Winnipeg Jets D Jacob Trouba may have played his last game in blue.

We are now a month and a half into the NHL Free Agency period, and one of the Jets key Restricted Free Agents is still a long ways away from signing with the Winnipeg Jets. Jacob Trouba was selected with the 8th overall pick in the 2011 draft. That draft was one of the weaker in recent history. That helped Trouba as he’s considered as one of the best players coming out of that draft. In his first season with the Jets, Trouba played under former head coach Claude Noel, and was a pleasure to watch from a hockey fans standpoint. He was the most exciting player on the ice, rushing the puck, and lining up players for highlight reel hits. Nothing could be going better.

The Jets then decided they had to go a different direction, firing Claude Noel, and hiring

former Cup Champion Paul Maurice. Paul saw all of the potential in Jacob Trouba, but knew he needed to improve him game, and most importantly, not stick out so much on mistakes. Trouba’s displeasure with his new approach to the game, along with a less-than-admirable pairing with Mark Stuart stood out. Stuart’s regression put a lot of pressure and effort on

Trouba’s shoulders that he should have spent on developing a rounded game.  Now his entry-level contract is up, and he wants to get paid like he played in his rookie season, and for a long term. The Jets have gone on the “What have you done for me lately” train, and are looking to sign Trouba to a cheap, bridge deal, and see if he can solidify an elite game before signing him to an expensive contract. That is how this contract dispute started.

“We aren’t trying to trade anybody. We’re going to do our best to get (this) contract in the books.” – Kevin Cheveldayoff

Trouba wants to play on the top defense pairing. Away from Stuart, and very near the likes of Dustin Byfuglien or Tyler Myers. He also wants to get time on the power play, but the Jets have three defenseman higher on that depth chart, Byfuglien, Myers, and Enstrom. There were reports Trouba was asking for $7 million per season, that he and his agent both denied, but it must mean he wants around that range. Winnipeg being a budget team, they can’t afford that huge of a contract.

That’s why an un-common situation with an RFA has occurred, and as the leaves start to fall in September, the more likely it is that Trouba gets traded to a team that’s willing to pay a pretty penny for his service. Considering rumbling came out of Colorado that Duchene could be in the mix to be traded for Trouba, and the return New Jersey got for Adam Larsson (Taylor Hall), a trade may not be the worst situation.