The San Jose Sharks signed free agent defenseman Jacob Trouba to a four-year contract worth $8.25 million per season, the team announced Wednesday.
Trouba suited up in 81 games for the Anaheim Ducks last season, notching 35 points and averaging nearly 23 minutes per contest.
The 32-year-old was traded to Orange County during the 2024-25 campaign after a six-year stint with the New York Rangers.
Trouba's earned a reputation as one of the NHL's most physical defenders and has a lengthy track record of controversial plays. He's likely to take on a top-four role with the Sharks, who are in the midst of overhauling their blue line.
San Jose recently acquired Michael Kesselring from the Buffalo Sabres and only has three established defenders under contract. General manager Mike Grier still has over $31 million in cap space to work with after landing Trouba, according to PuckPedia.
The Sharks have one of the best young cores in the NHL, led by 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini, who nearly guided San Jose to the playoffs last season. The club added to its pipeline at the draft last week by using two top-10 picks on Ivar Stenberg and Keaton Verhoeff.
