Quoting: TMarch
No one is giving up an early 1st round pick for Trouba. The 3 beat writers that did the article for The Athletic (including the WPG beat writer) had Lindstrom, and the 35OA for Trouba, with a conditional 2nd if Trouba extends. They did say throw in Green retained to give WPG an asset back to fill the hole short term (especially with a top of the line F core, they are still SCF contenders).
Trouba isn't a 1D. He played sheltered minutes in WPG, and scored a bunch of the power play. He is an offensive defenceman. He's a bigger Brian Rafalski (who's metrics and numbers are very similar). WPG fans make him out to be more than the league does. He played 2nd line minutes in WPG (3rd in minutes/game last season for WPG dmen). WPG doesn't have to give him away, but the return from any team isn't going to be close to what the fans make him out to be.
If he had team control for multiple years, you'd end up getting more. Brandon Montour is a great example, he returned a late 1st and a B prospect, but had 2 years left on his current deal @ 3.3m, and is an RFA at the end. The pick that ANA will get will be between 27-31 (the better of either SJS or STL). What's the difference between 27 and 35? Especially if another 2nd round pick is involved, plus a similar level prospect. WPG needs picks badly, as they've traded away a bunch the last few seasons.
But Trouba is a UFA next season, and will cost 7.0+ on a 5-8 year deal. Very different value stream.
You're wrong about a couple things.
He's a 1D on many teams but he's by no means an elite one.
Trouba really isn't an offensive defenseman and it's literally astounding that he somehow managed to get 50 points and I can assure you he's nothing like Rafalski was, Rafalski was a true offensive defenseman whereas Trouba is more of a shutdown 2-way dman.
When both Buff and Morrissey were out with injuries Trouba was given the 1st unit PP point man/QB duties and he was terrible at it, he sunk the powerplay and imo I think it was a big part of Laine's slump, Trouba struggled to pivot and dish the puck over to Laine to one time it, it was mostly Trouba just passing it back and forth with Wheeler and Wheeler would have to try and make a perfect seam pass to try to get the puck through to Laine.
You're right about the likely return for him that it wont be that great and that Jets fans really tend to overvalue him, I really don't think the rest of the league thinks as highly of him as Jets fans, Chevy and Trouba himself do.