Rangers ‘not getting the packages they want’ for Vincent Trocheck
New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck could headline the NHL Trade Deadline on March 6, per ESPN’s Emily Kaplan.
Kaplan tabbed Trocheck as her “Most Likely Big Name to Move” on Wednesday morning’s edition of the PuckPedia Hockey Show.
“I felt so much stronger about this yesterday than I did this morning,” Kaplan qualified. “As with all of these, there’s always gonna be these caveats — but I think it’s gonna be Vincent Trocheck.”
The Rangers traded defenseman Carson Soucy to the New York Islanders in January and dealt star winger Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings before the Olympic break. Trocheck could be the next domino to fall in the aftermath of general manager Chris Drury’s letter signaling a retool.
“I think that Chris Drury obviously has signaled which direction they’re gonna go. He’s kind of backed himself into a corner in a lot of ways,” continued Kaplan. “The expectation I got around the League — as well as within the Rangers locker room and with Vincent Trocheck — is that he is going to be on the move.”
Trocheck candidly acknowledged the rumors Monday, expressing his desire to play for a Stanley Cup contender. He also confirmed he would block any trade to the West Coast with his 12-team no-trade clause.
The Blueshirts certainly have incentive to move him. Drury specified a desire to acquire young players and draft picks in his Jan. 16 letter to the fans, and Trocheck figures to be his most valuable trade chip at this year’s deadline.
The 32-year-old is under contract through 2027-28 at a team-friendly cap hit of $5.625 million annually. Trocheck helped Team USA claim Olympic gold for the first time since 1980, anchoring a penalty kill that was 17-for-17; he also tied for second among all skaters with a 66.7 face-off win percentage in this year’s Winter Games.
But with the NHL Trade Deadline looming, Drury reportedly isn’t thrilled with the trade offers for his gritty, two-way center.
“You have to get a pretty big package for a guy that you’re getting for three playoff runs, and a pretty attractive cap hit,” Kaplan said. “And I think that’s the problem right now — they’re just not getting the packages that they want.”
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported Monday that the Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, and Carolina Hurricanes are all in on Trocheck, with the Wild being the frontrunner. Friedman added that Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin has likely sent New York his best offer — one that does not include 22-year-old winger Danila Yurov, per Kaplan.
“I know that there’s a deal to be had, and the framework is there for the Minnesota Wild, but I’ve heard that Billy Guerin doesn’t want to give up Yurov at all,” Kaplan said. “It would circle around Charlie Stramel, a 2027 first-round pick, maybe another prospect or young roster player. I don’t know if Drury thinks that’s enough.”
Friedman theorized that the Rangers are shopping around for a deal that tops Minnesota’s. If Drury can’t find a more enticing offer, it leaves him with a difficult choice.
“I talked to a GM this morning that talked to ‘Dru’ last night,” Kaplan disclosed. “And he told him, ‘Hey, I’m kinda hemming and hawing here. I’ve got the guy for three more years; I don’t have to make a decision right now.'”
Trocheck’s value may never be higher, buoyed by his Olympic performance and the allure of a Stanley Cup run this spring. That said, Drury isn’t boxed into trading his most desirable piece by March 6.
“I’m kinda scared because it’s been so slow now that we all want this action, and there’s gonna be a lot of business that’s just punted to over the summer when people have more flexibility, there’s more teams in the race,” Kaplan noted. “All of that said, all of my reporting of the last several weeks says that Vincent Trocheck should be on the move.”
Emily Kaplan confirms Adam Fox ‘wants to see the dust settle’
One name Kaplan shot down as a potential deadline move was Rangers star defenseman Adam Fox, who sparked conjecture with a pair of noncommittal responses regarding his future in New York.
“I don’t think that’s a move that gets made in the next week,” Kaplan said of Fox, who is signed through 2028-29 and wields a full no-movement clause through 2026-27. “I think there’s some smoke in that conversation, but I don’t think there’s any fire right now.
That’s not to say that Fox couldn’t get moved in the summer.
“His family is from the New York area, so I don’t think he’s really eager to go to California, per se. If there’s a team nearby that makes sense — maybe like the Boston Bruins, who could also use someone on that [right] side; he’s really good buddies with Charlie McAvoy — perhaps that’s a deal to be had,” Kaplan added. “But from everything I understand, he kinda just wants to see the dust settle. That’s a conversation for over the summer.”
Kaplan also addressed the possibility of a swap between the Rangers and Seattle Kraken involving 2021 No. 1 overall pick Alexis Lafreniere and 2022 No. 4 overall pick Shane Wright.
“I think that’s a deal that could’ve been done already,” said Kaplan. “I know that the Rangers — obviously, they’re saying they’re open for business — it just feels like nobody’s really giving the offer for that player that they feel is appropriate for his value.”
