Five Potential Trade Options for Vincent Trocheck

Following the New York Rangers’ unexpected run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2022, Chris Drury and the front office had a middle-six center at the top of their summer shopping list. After letting deadline acquisition Andrew Copp walk to free agency, the Rangers had hopes for Filip Chytil slotting in on the second line, but needed a contingency plan who could comfortably play important second or third line minutes.

Vincent Trocheck was on paper, the perfect solution to fit that need. 

Signed to a seven-year contract with an AAV of $5.625 million, Trocheck was the exact type of player Drury was looking to shape his team around. A face-off specialist who plays the game hard, he came in with plenty of playoff experience, and could be counted on for a fair amount of secondary scoring. All things considered, Trocheck was proving to be a phenomenal signing. He fit in perfectly in the middle of Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafrenière and in his first two seasons, put up 64 and 77 points while playing all 82 games each year. Remember, the original plan was for Chytil to be the 2C and Trocheck to be the 3C. By that standard, Trocheck was exceeding expectations. 

The last two seasons, however, have become a nightmare in New York, and Trocheck’s numbers have dropped accordingly. In another 82-game campaign last season, he only collected 59 points. This season, he has dealt with injury and has just 36 points in 43 games. But the bigger concern is his lack of accountability and overall attitude with things going poorly. 

With Trocheck in Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics with his captain, coaches, and general manager, the focus may be on coming home with a gold medal—but the priority for the Rangers should be finding a way to maximize their return for him leading up to the trade deadline. His name has already come up plenty in trade rumors with the Minnesota Wild being one of the more frequent names. Chip has written, and written again (and will write some more), about potential trades for Trocheck.

As we start to dive deeper into what this retool/rebuild could really look like for the Rangers, let’s take one more look at potential returns for a player like Trocheck in this current market.

Assessing Trocheck's Value

Goaltending is the most important position in hockey, but as far as skaters go, centers are traditionally the most important piece to the puzzle. As a result, they’re often the most sought after asset on the trade market when the deadline comes around.

As it stands right now, there really aren’t many centers on the trade block, let alone ones capable of improving a team’s top six. There’s Nazem Kadri, who still has term with a high AAV and will be 37 at the start of next season. There's Evgeni Malkin, who is pushing 40 and could retire after this campaign. There's Claude Giroux, who isn’t far behind Malkin and will likely stay put in Ottawa if he continues playing. There's Boone Jenner, who is well suited for a third line role but could decide to stay in Columbus. There's Ryan O’Reilly, maybe? Who knows what Nashville's plans actually are.

Other than that, you’re really only looking at Shane Wright, who hasn’t proven much at the NHL level, and Robert Thomas, who is currently injured and has a full no-movement clause. Trocheck being signed for three more years at an extremely affordable cap hit (in a rising salary cap era) and with limited trade protection is surely one of the most valuable, if not the most valuable, center in this current trade market.

Trocheck Trade Comparables

The Brock Nelson trade from last season is the go-to answer for a Trocheck comparable. The New York Islanders sent Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche along with William DuFour in exchange for coveted prospect Calum Ritchie, Oliver Kylington, a conditional first round pick, and a conditional third. This type of package, at the bare minimum, should be what the Rangers look to get for Trocheck. 

You don't have to look any further than Long Island for another similar deal. In 2023, the Islanders received Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks for a first rounder, Aatu Raty, and Anthony Beauvillier.

Last season, the Tampa Bay Lightning gave up a pair of firsts for Yanne Gourde (and Oliver Bjorkstrand) along with more draft capital and a depth player in Michael Eyssimont. In previous seasons, Sean Monahan alone got the Montreal Canadiens a first and a third. Tomas Hertl, along with two third rounders, got San Jose a return of David Edstrom and a first. Calgary got Andrei Kuzmenko, two defense prospects, a first, and a fourth for Elias Lindholm.

Now, let's take a look at what Trocheck could land the Rangers this year.

1) Minnesota Wild

Charlie Stramel, Yakov Trenin, David Jiricek, Aron Kiviharju,  and a Conditional 2027 First Rounder 

Listen, if the Rangers end up trading Trocheck for Stramel and a second I will gladly join in on the next round of "Fire Drury" chants.

The rumor wheel has already been spinning with the Minnesota Wild as one of the favorites for Trocheck. That’s all well and good, but they need a lot more than just Charlie Stramel. This is a prospect I was not particularly high on in his draft class and many of us here at Blueshirt Banter are not super excited about as a possibility. His ceiling likely maxes out as a third line center. He left a top NCAA program in Wisconsin and transferred to Michigan State, where he has turned his game up a notch, but the transfer to a less regarded program does come as a bit of a red flag. 

Yakov Trenin is an NHL replacement-level player who would surely come the other way to make the money work for Minnesota. He is signed for two more seasons with an AAV of $3.5 million and is a bottom-six-type of forward. Once upon of time, he would have made sense for the Rangers, but since signing in Minnesota, his game has dropped quite a bit. At best, he plays a rough and tough game, can bring energy to the fourth line, and can maybe contribute secondary offense.

David Jirieck and Aron Kiviharju are the two names I’m prioritizing in this trade. These are two young defensemen who could help the Rangers truly retool their blue line for years to come. Jiricek has already been traded once and just hasn’t taken that next step yet. For a former sixth overall pick, that's a bit concerning, but a necessary project for the Rangers to entertain in these Trocheck conversations.

Kiviharju is a kid who, upon being drafted, walked up to Bill Guerin (of all general managers), shook his hand, looked him in the eyes, and said something to the effect of "you just got the steal of the draft." Either he’s full of it, or has the attitude I want on my hockey team. Either way, he's a smart player, sees the ice well, can move the puck, and competes every shift. He doesn't have a ton of size, but he sure plays like he does. A former fourth round pick (122nd overall), he has lots of upside and is eligible to play in the AHL next season as he just turned twenty last month.