The New York Rangers resume their season on Thursday night, where they face the Philadelphia Flyers. The roster that takes the ice will certainly look different in a year's time, as the Rangers are in the midst of a retool. With Artemi Panarin now with the Los Angeles Kings, the next big name that seems set to be traded is Vincent Trocheck.
Given playoff contenders' need for a top, right-handed center, Trocheck seems to be the top option. One team that has been linked heavily to Trocheck has been the Minnesota Wild, as they are looking to make a run for their first Stanley Cup. Not to mention, Trocheck was picked by Wild General Manager Bill Guerin for the eventual gold medal-winning United States Olympic team.
But it appears their chances of landing Trocheck aren't as high as everyone thinks.
During an interview on The Flying V Podcast with The Athletic Rangers reporter Vince Mercogliano, colleague and Wild reporter Michael Russo expressed pessimism in Minnesota landing Trocheck. While Russo says that he knows the Wild "love" Trocheck, he doesn't think a deal with the Rangers is a sure thing, especially if Danila Yurov isn't included in a trade.
Wild reporter expresses pessimism in Minnesota putting Vincent Trocheck trade package that would entice Rangers
"My only thing...it would be absolutely foolish for the Wild to trade Danila Yurov in this type of deal, and he'd be the guy if I'm Chris Drury I'd be asking for," said Russo. "...Now, if you're getting a true number one center, or a superstar, I think that he's gotta be in that type of deal. And obviously, with the Rangers, I can't imagine they have any interest in in [Jesper] Wallstedt. So from there, you're talking about guys like Charlie Stramel and Carson Lambos and Adam Benak. I guess at the end of the day here, I can't imagine that Chris Drury couldn't do better from a prospect standpoint, and that's why still from my perspective, I'm still having doubts on whether or not the Wild could get this done."
Trocheck is not a player you'd put into the "superstar" category. But he holds great value, as he can score goals, kill penalties, and win face-offs. Trocheck proved this in the Olympics, as he notched three assists, won 67.0 percent of his face-offs, and helped the penalty kill by stopping 18-of-18 power plays. And Guerin saw first hand what he could bring.
Given all of that, the Rangers are going to want a huge return. They couldn't get much for Panarin, as he carried a full no-trade clause, leaving the Rangers without much leverage. While Trocheck does have a partial no-move clause, they can get more for him, especially since there are plenty of other teams reportedly interested in Trocheck, such as the Detroit Red Wings and Carolina Hurricanes. This is also a point that Russo brings up in his podcast interview.
"I have no doubt that this is the guy that Bill Guerin wants to go get. But I just wonder at the end of the day here, if Chris Drury could do better," says Russo. "And so because of that, if the Wild aren't going to give up Yurov, I don't know where I would put it percentage-wise. I just think other teams are going to be able to do better because he's got three years left on his deal. And I just think that a lot of teams have a lot of need for him because everybody is looking for a right shot center. So I think the Wild are going to make a trade. I just don't know if at the end of the day, it's going to be Trocheck. But there's no doubt in my mind that that's who they love."
Yurov is going to be the hot commodity for any selling team at the deadline. Yurov is a 22-year-old forward who possesses playmaking skills and a solid shot. Rangers fans know they need some young scoring forwards, given the farm system is in shambles. Yurov is a third-line center who averages over 13 minutes of ice time per game. In 51 games, Yurov has eight goals and 14 assists. Yurov may get more playing time on another team, if the Wild can land a top player in return. The Rangers would certainly give him more playing time.
While the Wild will continue to be linked to Trocheck in the coming days, it's not exactly a lock that he'll end up getting traded to Minnesota, especially if the Rangers and Drury don't get a return they deem is sufficient enough to finalize a move.