The New York Rangers fanbase finally got a glimpse of general manager Chris Drury's retool vision during the NHL Draft in Buffalo this past weekend. The team used multiple high draft picks on left-handed defensemen, including fifth overall selection Alberts Smits. Then, to address their need for a top line scorer, the Rangers traded multiple draft picks to the Vegas Golden Knights for Pavel Dorofeyev, who they then signed him to a seven-year, $77 million contract extension.
While that is a good start to the offseason, especially ahead of free agency on July 1, Drury still has some questions that need to be answered. The main one will be what to do with center Vincent Trocheck. The Rangers floated Trocheck on the trade block at the March deadline, but opted to keep him for the remainder of the season, with the goal of shopping him in the offseason. That goal hasn't exactly panned out just yet, especially with Dylan Larkin requesting a trade from the Detroit Red Wings.
Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman noted in the recent episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, the Rangers have a higher asking price on Trocheck now than they did at the trade deadline.
Chris Drury, Rangers have a higher asking price on Vincent Trocheck than at trade deadline
"I heard the Rangers still have a very high ask there, if not higher than the deadline," said Friedman, "...but I heard the Rangers ask on Trocheck was very high. Very high."
During the playoffs, the expectation was that Trocheck would be the top center on the market, meaning that Drury's decision to hold onto him would pay off tremendously. That plan hit a real road block once Larkin demanded a trade out of Detroit. Considering that Larkin is younger and a more well-known player, he instantly usurped Trocheck as the top center. What makes things more difficult is that it doesn't look as though a Larkin trade will happen any time soon.
Larkin only offered a limited three-team trade wishlist that included the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Golden Knights. The Panthers are virtually out of the running after they acquired Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators. Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman requested that Larkin expand his list of desired landing spots. Then, after the draft, Yzerman said that he doesn't have to trade Larkin if he doesn't get a sufficient enough offer.
All of that to say, that significantly hinders Trocheck's market. TSN NHL insider Pierre LeBrun recently criticized Drury's decision not to trade Trocheck at the trade deadline. Plus, LeBrun noted that Drury's plan is to wait for Larkin to get traded so he could hold control of the center market. That is one risk. But to increase the asking price is another.
Interestingly in the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman openly discussed the potential of the Rangers keeping Trocheck around, especially after the Dorofeyev addition.
We'll see if a team is willing to bite at the asking price, which could be more than just a high draft pick and a prospect.
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