Rangers GM Jeff Gorton described Trouba as a “big defenseman” that has offense, can kill penalties and play against the “best players” on the other team.”

Gorton added, “he’s going to come here and play big minutes, he’s a pretty versatile guy and we can envision him playing in all scenarios and being a big part of it.”

By season, Trouba’s numbers were:

Mike Johnston said on NHL Now on Tuesday that in Trouba the Rangers are getting, “an absolute top pairing defenseman. He is very good defensively, elite level shut down guy but also underrated offensively. Very good, underrated top pairing defenseman, really nice pick up as far as on the ice, he can play against any opponent and situation and get the job done, a big addition to the Rangers.”

Alex Tanguay said on NHL Tonight on Tuesday, “they are getting a top-flight, first pair defenseman. I think the world of Jacob Trouba. The steps that he made this year, he was a leader on the PP. We saw the progression and points drastically improve and I think he can be on a D-pair that plays against the top-line on the other side, plays big minutes. I expect him to be a top-minute logger for the Rangers for a long long time.”

One NHL coach told Craig Custance that Trouba is a “nuts and bolts” type of player that is strong on the puck. (The Athletic)

Another person told Custance that Trouba “has an aloofness to him that’s probably off-putting to a lot of people. There’s some guys that will go anywhere or do anything for anyone. That’s not Jacob … there’s just some guys who don’t care about being in the limelight or being viewed positively outside of how they play.” (The Athletic)

Ken Daneyko said on MSG that Trouba is “big, can play in all situations, is pretty physical. You would think he will add a lot of stability. He is only 25-years old but any time you can find bigger bodies with good reach and play with a little bit of an edge like Trouba does, they are hard to find. I’m sure he will be a big piece of their puzzle.”

Gordie Clark said that Trouba is a “25-year old kid that is going to help a lot out there” and, when asked about trading the 20th pick, said “we could never get a player like Jacob Trouba with the 20th pick.” (NYR)

Brian Burke said on Hockey Central at Noon on 6/28, “The money for Jacob Trouba, lets look at what he is. He’s definitely a top-four defenseman but he’s not higher than a three, he can’t play the left side. He has some bite and he can pound the puck but he’s not an offensive threat. He’s in that second pair and that is what the market is for those guys. They are going to choke on the term. With Jacob Trouba, who I like as a player, he has some bit, he’s never turned into the offensive force they thought he might be. When he turned pro the comparisons were to John Carlson, big shot, right shot, American kid, has some bite, will put up good points and he hasn’t. He’s an open-ice hitter, finishes hard in his own end, everyone likes him, I like him as a player but his offense is limited, he can not play the left side. I’m not being critical, it’s just that when he played the left side he hated it and was bad at it. He’s gotta play the right side, he’s not a first PP guy, he’s not a first PK guy on a lot of teams, he might be there. I don’t mind the money, the term is going to be the problem.”

Nick Kypreos followed by saying, “good player, can munch minutes, be in your top-four but from here on in, how much more upside is there in Trouba, how much better can he get? Can he get to that next level and become a complete defensemen as someone people regard as one of the top defensemen in the league or is this it for him?”

Alex Tanguay said on NHL Tonight on 6/29, “I love the acquisition of Jacob Trouba. I think he is an underrated defenseman, he’s going to get paid accordingly. We see what he was able to do in Winnipeg and he and Josh Morrisey played against the other top guys.”

In the 2013 Hockey News Future Watch issue, Trouba was ranked the 10th overall prospect and they wrote, “His skating and shooting are high-level in the class of 2012 and he has played with an edge whether at his regular NCAA spot or on the world stage. “The World Juniors was a very good showing for him, Playing on the big stage, winning a championship, being a big part of winning it was very exciting for him and his development. The player that we saw there was the player we felt we were drafting,” said Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.