June is officially here, and with hockey that much closer to the draft and free agency, the official start of silly season is almost here. "Silly season" is a good catch all to describe the rumor mongering, both serious and unserious, and it is something most fans enjoy ahead of the summer slog. With that said, let's get right into the latest insider report about a failed New York Rangers deadline blockbuster, and why it is something that could be revisited.
Rangers and Canadiens were in talks around the NHL trade deadline
Today's news comes via Bruce Garrioch, longtime NHL reporter, and it focuses on the NHL trade deadline and whether or not a failed deal could be revisited.
Hughes told reporters at the NHL trade deadline in March that he had a “significant” deal fall through because the Habs weren’t able to get it across the finish line at 3 p.m. ET. He said on Monday that it doesn’t mean the trade is completely dead. “It depends on the other team,” Hughes said. “That doesn’t stop us from making the appeal and revisiting it.”
The report later goes on to say, "The talk in league circles is that Hughes and Jeff Gorton, the Habs’ vice-president of hockey operations, may have been in talks with the New York Rangers for a trade that would have included centre Vincent Trocheck in return."
Garrioch goes on to mention Trocheck aas a great fit as a second line center making a reasonable $5.625 million per season through the 2028-29 season. What is also interesting is that Garrioch admits that he doesn't know for certain if the deal centered on Trocheck, but it is something worth monitoring.
The most interesting, and unrealistic part of the story, unsurprisingly links Alexis Lafrenière which could be an ultimate nonstarter.
You have to wonder if the Habs do revisit the deal they were working on — if it was in fact with the Rangers — if Montreal would try to expand the trade to include another piece from New York.“ Would he come to Canada? He’s an American. Does he want to play here?” a league insider said of Trocheck on Monday. Forward Alexis Lafreniere, 24, is often linked to the Habs but has a big ticket at $7.45 million through 2031-32. Why not swing for the fences? Go big or go home, and the Habs, like the Senators, have gone home early this spring.
What to takeaway from latest update
I do think the Canadiens and Rangers were talking about a Trocheck deal, and the breakdown came because of a no-trade clause in Trocheck's contract. We know that he wants to win a Stanley Cup, but he also wants to stay close to his family on the East coast. Montreal isn't far away, but international borders can make things a little more difficult than they need to be. It is possible he's become more amenable, but it feels like Minnesota is going to be the ultimate fit for him.
The Wild aren't as deep down the middle, that was evident during the playoffs, and they will want to get stronger this upcoming season to make another important run as long as Quinn Hughes remains under contract.
As for Lafrenière, fat chance he's moved this offseason unless the Rangers are getting someone like Connor McDavid to come to New York. The Rangers' 2020 No. 1 overall pick had 12 points in 14 games in January, 19 points in 16 games in March, and five games in seven games in April. To end the season he 37 points in his final 40 games, and that type of pace over the course of a full season would see him establish new career highs.
The Rangers are in a good place right now with Lafrenière, and it is hard to think of a player on Montreal's roster that the Canadiens would be willing to give up given what they are building, let alone one New York would push to add.
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