July 1st usually offers NHL teams a massive opportunity to improve, but with a week class of UFA players, the New York Rangers are in the perfect position to capitalize on a trade market that is expected to be even hotter. The Stanley Cup Final is almost set, but that hasn't stopped the league's insiders from looking ahead to the summer and business that should take place.
The latest update from Chris Johnston at The Athletic is positive news for Rangers' President and General Manager Chris Drury, and it is possible his trade deadline strategy was smarter than fans thought at the time.
Trocheck comes in at No. 1 on The Athletic's Offseason Big Board
The league has already seen potential free agents Evgeni Malkin and Charlie Coyle re-sign with their teams, and that only further depleted a pretty weak market. It is that reason that Trocheck currently occupies the No. 1 spot on The Athletic's offseason trade board, a development that is no shocker to anyone who has been paying attention.
Trocheck appeared in 67 games for the Blueshirts in 2025-26, and finished with 16 goals, 37 assists, and 53 points. He turns 33 in July, and has three more years on his contract with a pretty reasonable cap hit of $5.625 million per season.
Trocheck missed some time early on in the season, and his return to the lineup was appreciated. He played his role perfectly for Team USA in Milan, and teams should be interested in him since he'll likely be reenergenized by joining a contender. Trocheck deeply wants to win a Stanley Cup, and is a proven playoff performer. At this point in his career he's more than capable of being a No. 2 center, and can hold down the top line in the event of an injury. He isn't too far away from being a No. 3 center, but that's not the worst thing in the world.
Cost to acquire Trocheck was high in March
Minnesota was the team many expected Trocheck to join, and he's continued to tease that on social media. The price that the Rangers reportedly turned down included prospect Charlie Stramel and a first-round pick, and I'd imagine in addition to the pick and prospect the Rangers will want at least one NHL roster player. At the time Bill Guerin joked that he thought Drury would give him a discount, and that just didn't end up happening.
Teams that underwhelmed in the playoffs could get desperate, as could teams that are looking to take a leap. There's a lot to like about Trocheck's overall body of work, and it will be no surprise if a mini bidding war breaks out. The only potential snag is a 12-team no-trade list, but given Trocheck's desire to win, finding a new home for him shouldn't be too complicated.
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