GM Pat Verbeek
On the trade
[It came together] rather quickly. As managers we're always talking to teams and seeing what's going on, but this came together rather quickly. As I mentioned to you before, I've been searching for a right-hand defenseman to help with our right side. Obviously we've got a lot of left shots and it's been difficult at times for them.
When a player of this caliber comes available, I wanted to help our team and I think he improves our team. He gives us a lot of depth on defense now. He's a really good penalty killer. I think he's got some underrated offensive skills that probably haven't shown in the last year or so. I think overall it gives our team a lot more rigid physical play to the rest of our group. And for me, as I'm trying to make this team better, that is part of how I want us to play. I want us to be really tough to play against and he certainly adds that element to our group.
On Trouba's leadership skills
You just don't become the captain of the New York Rangers and not have excellent qualifications on and off the ice. I spoke to Radko [Gudas] this morning and he was excited. I think [Trouba is] going to be able to add another layer of leadership to our entire group and with a different voice. I think it's important. And in speaking with Radko, I think our group's really excited about bringing Jacob in.
On Trouba's game
He plays a more stay at home style and with our left side, we have a lot of offensive defensemen. I think they're going to complement each other really well. We haven't really decided who he's going to play with yet. That's a work in progress to see the chemistry, but I feel very confident that whoever we put with him is going to be very good.
On the Ducks defense
Well, right now I think it's important to get a right hand shot. You can be flushed with the defensemen one night and then the next night, you're not. It's just something that is part of this business. We're going to manage it and manage it in a real development manner, looking at that with every single one of our young guys. It's going to provide some more competition within our group, which is healthy, and that's how you get better.
I feel really comfortable with a really solid D core now, and it's at a point now where it's going to get competitive. We're going to develop and have these guys play hard and compete to be in the lineup every night, which is, like I said, a good thing.
On the team's season so far
Well, I think that obviously there's been a couple games we've let slip away. Some of that stuff is youth and is some of is we're still finding that consistency on a night in and night out basis to do the things that our coaches are asking them to do. We're still working through that process, but we are getting a lot better. We've improved a ton and we still have a long ways to go, but we're going in a really good direction. And with that direction, I'm really happy with how things are going.
