The New York Rangers’ NHL trade deadline was underwhelming to say the least. The retool promised some major moves, but, in the end, nothing materialized. Yes, the Rangers made a couple of moves. However, the big trade everyone was expecting was Vincent Trocheck.
Even after the deadline had expired, the expectation was that a last-minute deal could have made it under the wire. The Colorado Avalanche celebrated the Nazem Kadri deal about an hour after the deadline was over.
But the Rangers had not pulled a meaningful deal across. Yes, the Blueshirts had pulled off a couple of minor deals, but the biggest one of all did not happen.
The Trocheck deal was supposed to make up for the Artemi Panarin fiasco. It should have been the deal that turned the tide for the Rangers. Given the chatter, it could have yielded some solid pieces in return.
Again, silence.
The thought process here was simple. Chris Drury planned to stick to his guns. If he didn’t get the deal he wanted, he wouldn’t move Trocheck. After all, the 32-year-old is still under contract. So, it’s not like he HAD TO MOVE Trocheck.
That attitude was perfectly fine, except that it came just a tad too late. The moment to stick to his guns was during the Panarin negotiations. Yes, Panarin was on track to become a UFA. And yes, Drury had to trade him or risk losing the veteran forward for nothing.
But that was the point where Drury needed to show he wasn’t a pushover. Had Drury let Panarin sit during the Olympics, trading him now at the NHL trade deadline would have given him more leverage. Rival GMs would have seen the situation and figured Drury was willing to walk away if he didn’t get what he wanted.
Panarin would have likely not played a game until the trade had been completed. But that was the situation at hand.
Unfortunately, Drury caved to the situation. He agreed to trade Panarin. And while the return could end up becoming good for the Rangers, that situation proved he didn’t have the backbone to risk foregoing a deal for Panarin.
All of a sudden, Drury decided to draw a line in the sand. He didn’t trade Trocheck. And now the Rangers are stuck with him. There’s no telling how Trocheck feels about the situation. That could lead to some ill will towards the entire ordeal.
Had Drury dug his heels in during the Panarin situation, he would have eventually gotten a better deal. And he would have been able to trade Trocheck at the deadline. Everyone would have known that Drury meant business.
As it stands, Trocheck and the Rangers will face an awkward rest of the season. Perhaps Drury might get a better deal during the offseason, but that’s somehow unlikely.
It’s too bad because the Rangers missed an opportunity to cash in.