Trouba missed 13 games in the month of March due to a lower-body injury and it was revealed earlier today that he had broken his ankle in the regular season but gutted through the pain, returned for the final 2 weeks of the regular season, and played through the injury during the playoffs.
The injury still surprisingly allowed him the ability to walk. However, when it came to his skating and on-ice play, he was most definitely limited. He went on to further explain that while it was a bad injury, it was not an excuse to rest his head on, even though it was reported that he had lost a 'big chunk" of his ankle.
In 16 games during the playoffs, Trouba recorded 1 goal and 7 points, 22 PIMs, and averaged 20:59 TOI while blocking 72 shots and delivering 60 hits. Not known for his offensive game, Trouba can still deliver anywhere between 35-40 points on a regular basis and once he returned from injury, it was very apparent that was something was off - losing a big chunk of your ankle might do that.
The President Trophy winning New York Rangers went all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals this year as they swept the Washington Capitals in the first round, took down the Carolina Hurricanes in 6 games in the second round, before bowing out to the Florida Panthers in 6 games.
For his efforts throughout the season, Trouba won the 2023-24 Mark Messier Leadership Award, which is presented to the player who "exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice".
