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3 potential suitors for Jacob Trouba

Bruce Fedyck / USA TODAY Sports

News that Jacob Trouba wants out of Winnipeg broke Saturday, and while there's no telling how quickly a deal will come together, there's no limit on the list of potential landing spots for the rising star.

Related: Jacob Trouba's agent says he's requested trade from Jets

The 22-year-old defenseman was drafted ninth overall just four years ago, but the right-handed shooter is stuck behind the Jets' Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers, and believes he'll have better opportunities to further his career elsewhere.

Here are three teams that could offer him that opportunity:

Toronto Maple Leafs

If you've kept your eyes on the World Cup, you know how much Canada coach and Toronto Maple Leafs bench boss Mike Babcock likes his defensive pairings to have both a left- and right-handed shot.

While the Leafs boast Morgan Rielly on the left side, the best option on the right appears to be Nikita Zaitsev. The former KHLer has had a strong North American debut at the World Cup, but remains an unknown quantity at the NHL level. It's no doubt an area in need of improvement for the Leafs.

What they can offer Winnipeg is the question. The Jets could ask for a first-round pick - a tall order for a Toronto team still in the early stages of a rebuild. That move could be a repeat of the deal that brought Phil Kessel to Toronto but saw second overall pick Tyler Seguin head to Boston.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins' weakness is their blue line, and captain Zdeno Chara isn't getting any younger.

Chara has two years remaining on his contract, and the left-handed shot could pair with Trouba. With the 39-year-old in his hockey twilight, it would represent a changing of the guard in Boston, with Trouba taking ownership of the Bruins' top pairing once Chara moves on.

The addition would bolster the Boston lineup and likely extend the team's competitive window, as it slowly infuses young pros like David Pastrnak, Ryan Spooner, and a crop of rookies.

Arizona Coyotes

It's no secret that the Arizona Coyotes desire a top-pairing defenseman to partner with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Trouba's name has been connected to the team as recently as the draft. TSN's Bob McKenzie confirmed the reports on Saturday:

Trouba would get his top-pairing opportunity with the Coyotes, who currently have Connor Murphy and Michael Stone filling the top two slots on the right.

The Coyotes have the pieces to pull off such a trade, but may need to empty part of their prospect cupboard to facilitate a deal. The lone western conference team on this list, Arizona may have to pay a premium to get the Jets to move Trouba within the conference.

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