VIncent Trocheck was a bright spot for the New York Rangers during the 2023-24 season, and provided so much value that his $5.625 million dollar cap hit look liked a massive steal. Oh how quickly things can change in just a year's time. Trocheck joined the Blueshirts as a free agent during the 2022 offseason and got off to a hot start, and outdid himself the following season. He remains one of the Rangers' most important players, and the upcoming season projects to be an important one in which his long-term future with the organization could be determined.
Expectations
Trocheck had a career year in 2023-24 for the Rangers finishing with 25 goals, 52 assists, and 77 points in 82 games. The assists and points were the most he'd tallied in a single season, and up to that point 25 goals were the second-most he'd scored in a single season. In addition to that, Trocheck had a slash line which included a 54.95 goals for percentage, a 53.75 Corsi for percentage, and a 52.43 expected goals for percentage according to Evolving-Hockey. He finished the season with the highest ATOI of his career at 21:27, and after an All-Star Game appearance and incredible playoff run in which he tallied 20 points in 16 games, the Rangers thought they had an elite second-line center to help them with their goal of winning a Stanley Cup.
Performance
Mika Zibanejad, rightly, was criticized for a disappointing 2024-25 season, but somehow Trocheck flew under the radar and wasn't subject to as much criticism despite also having a steep drop-off. Trocheck ended the season with a line of 26-33-59 while skating 21:06 per game. He had 19 fewer assists than the year prior, and was not nearly as impactful on the power play. In addition to that, Trocheck saw his GF% drop by 3.64 percent (51.31), his CF% drop by 1.6 percent (52.15), and his xGF% drop by 5.01% (47.42) per Evolving-Hockey.
He also was only worth -1.9 sG, an all-in above replacement statistic utilized by HockeyViz.com to highlight a player's overall impact, and that number is a drop of 5.2 sG from the year prior. As a result, Trocheck graded out as a bottom tier third-line player after being a mid-tier first-line player the year prior.
Where They Go From Here
This may seem like a harsh grade, but the Rangers expected a lot out of Trocheck this year, and he just didn't deliver. It would have been one thing if it were just the offensive numbers regressing, but his underlying metrics and overall defensive impact declining played a role in this grade. Trocheck turns 32 in July, and based on what we know about aging curves, it's very possible the Rangers have seen the best of him. That doesn't mean that Trocheck still can't provide value, but they now need to think about the long-term construction of the roster.
Trocheck had a full no-movement clause in the first three years of his deal, and on July 1st that changes to a 12-team no trade list. The following summer that changes to a 10-team no trade list, and for the final two years of his contract he will own a 6-team no trade list. The absence of a NMC, and a cap hit of $5.625 million, means Trocheck is a player that the team could conceivably trade this summer as they try and remake their team.
If put on the open market, there are likely contenders out there who'd line up to trade for him, but more likely than not he will be given a year to play for Mike Sullivan to prove why he should remain with the organization. Trocheck has a chance to get back on track, but if he shows more of the same next season, he could be the next big name headed out of New York.