Media Bytes: Trocheck-in, Jay Leach, Knicks Pressure, Rangers' Offseason Plans
Trocheck is the #1 name on Chris Johnston's trade board—and both Boston and Toronto want him. What should the Rangers demand in return?
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Trocheck-in
1. Arthur Staple of Rangers Recon provided another small update on the future of Vincent Trocheck, reporting this week that the Boston Bruins inquired about him last season.
“I think that’s the kind of guy [the Bruins are] looking to add, and if that’s the case, Mason Lohrei is the kind of guy you want to get off that roster,” he said, suggesting a deal framework that could benefit both teams. Staple went on to describe Lohrei as a “perfect second-pairing” defenseman with “a lot of offense to his game.”
Staple acknowledged that while Boston called about Trocheck at the deadline, it’s still difficult to project what the Bruins plan to do this summer. That said, if they revisit the idea of acquiring Trocheck, he believes the Rangers should “hold out until you get Lohrei in a Rangers uniform.”
2. Chris Johnston also spoke to Trocheck on The Chris Johnston Show, justifying his call to rank the American center at the #1 spot on his trade board released for The Athletic.
Johnston justified the decision by telling listeners that the free agent market drying up the way it has has forced the issue for teams looking to add a "top-two center."
"You're not getting a top-two center on the free agent market. They just don't exist," he said. "If you're going to make that kind of addition to your team, it's going to have to be [via trade]."
In his column for The Athletic, he provided additional context on Trocheck, writing that conversations around Trocheck have "resumed," and characterized him as an "appealing target for teams looking to get stronger down the middle."
Later in the show, Johnston also reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs have expressed interest in Trocheck.
