Vincent Trocheck was the big-name addition that the Rangers had been hoping to add in the second-line center spot for a long time. In addition to bolstering themselves, they stole him from their direct Metropolitan Division rival in the Carolina Hurricanes who wanted to keep this player it seems. At least according to the comments of their General Manager Don Waddell at a fan event recently.
Waddell sighted that the Canes attempted to extend Trocheck in January, but Trocheck wanted to play in a big city. Raleigh, North Carolina isn’t exactly a big place. With this statement from his former GM, there’s more than enough to say that Trocheck wants to be here and that he wants to be a New York Ranger. We’ve talked a lot about Trocheck’s signing and how he’s probably signed a little too long but that doesn’t matter.
As New York is the most populated American city by quite some margin, it was the obvious choice for the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native. The fact New York had a need for a second-line center made this a match made in heaven. Everyone got a good look at Trocheck as the Rangers knocked him and the Hurricanes out in the playoffs last year so the sense of familiarity between organization and team made a lot of sense.
Trocheck is signed for the next seven seasons after Chris Drury inked the 2011 3rd-round pick this summer to fill the hole in the lineup left by the departure of Ryan Strome to Anaheim. It leaves some questions regarding the team, mostly about Trocheck’s production and his ability to step in effectively, but none of those issues is large enough o be a cause for concern. Trocheck wants to be a Ranger and he is everything the New York Rangers want to be. It seems like a great fit in theory.