New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury took a gamble at the trade deadline. Despite having, arguably, the top center available on the trade block in Vincent Trocheck, Drury opted to keep him for the rest of the season, due in part to not getting an offer he deemed sufficient enough. He was banking on the offers to increase this summer, especially since the options in free agency weren't very enticing.
But this offseason, the Rangers have seen Dylan Larkin request a trade from the Detroit Red Wings, and instantly become the top center available on the trade block. Not to mention, in terms of forwards, the Rangers watched the likes of Brady Tkachuk, William Eklund, and Jordan Kyrou all get traded for first round picks. Now, the Rangers are still waiting to see if they can get a substantial offer for Trocheck.
TSN NHL insider Pierre LeBrun said during an appearance on "Early Trading" that he thinks Drury and the Rangers are going to "regret" not trading Trocheck at the trade deadline now that Larkin is on the block. Especially since the Rangers are apparently going to wait and see what the Red Wings get for their captain in a trade.
Pierre LeBrun criticizes Chris Drury's decision to keep Vincent Trocheck at trade deadline
"The reason I bring that up is that from talking to other people around the league is that the Rangers would prefer Larkin get traded first so that they can control the centre market with Trocheck," said LeBrun.
"It sounds great in theory, and maybe that’ll happen that way, but Larkin isn’t going anywhere until the Red Wings get what they’re asking for him. I know people might roll their eyes, but we’re talking about Steve Yzerman here [as general manager of the Red Wings]."
So based on LeBrun's comments, Drury is hoping that Larkin is dealt before Trocheck, so he can have control of the center market. That's a risky plan, especially considering the saga between Larkin and the Red Wings is going to take a while based on reporting.
Larkin requested a trade earlier this month, due to his desire to win and a rocky relationship with Yzerman. Larkin has a full no-movement clause in his contract, and he initially said he would waive it for three teams — the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Minnesota Wild. But Yzerman reportedly told Larkin's agent, Pat Brisson, to expand the list to ensure they could get a better trade package in return. But, even with Larkin holding control, Yzerman can just hold onto him until he gets a good enough offer.
"Again, Larkin could move any day now. I’m just saying you don’t know how wise it is for the Rangers to sit and wait for a Larkin deal because I’m not sure how quickly that deal is coming," LeBrun said.
The Rangers have always had a high asking price for Trocheck, looking for draft capital and a young, pro-ready player in return. Thus far, teams have either balked at the price, or Drury outright rejected the offers.
There has been recent buzz that the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs have had interest in Trocheck. One team linked to Trocheck at the deadline, the Wild, aren't as hellbent on pursuing him, which isn't a shock considering they are in the running for Larkin.
We'll see if a team does give the Rangers and Drury an offer they can't refuse for Trocheck. But so far, LeBrun isn't a fan of Drury's plan.
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