When Chris Drury traded Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks, the Rangers lost their leader and captain. Elliotte Friedman has suggested in his latest 32 Thoughts Blog that the Rangers have started considering who the next leader in the dressing room might be. Vincent Trocheck is drawing attention from everywhere, but Sportsnet's premier insider suggests that the Blueshirts might be closing in on his voice as the new one to lead the dressing room.
According to Friedman, Trocheck has attracted a lot of trade attention. Still, the Rangers look set to reject all approaches for the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native. The Blueshirts are interested in keeping him as someone who could take the reigns of the Rangers locker room, lead by example on the ice, and show what it means to him to be a New York Ranger. It's an illustrious club that has donned the C in Manhatten, and the pressure wouldn't faze Trocheck.
Since signing a 7-year deal with the New York Rangers, Trocheck has recorded 60 goals and 108 assists for 168 points in his 204 games as a New York Ranger. This is year three of his tenure in New York, and the centerman looks like he'll complete his contract in the Big Apple. New York has seen a steep decline in the play of Mika Zibanejad, so Trocheck has been given an elevated role that he's filled perfectly.
As someone who can step into the most prominent role on one of the sport's most iconic teams, he's shown he'll remain calm and collected even with the weight of the world gathering around him. There will be other candidates for the captaincy, but Trocheck being in that conversation shows that the organization values him as a leader. Whoever ends up with the captaincy will need the support of players like Trocheck to stabilize the ship in New York.