Vincent Trocheck spoke about how the New York Rangers need to respond to an embarrassing 10-2 loss to the Boston Bruins, and while his comments are geared toward the immediate aftermath, they also true in the larger context of what the franchise needs to do in the coming weeks.
Trocheck didn't hold back on thoughts after Rangers were outclassed by Bruins
Trocheck remarked, "we should be embarrassed right now, and I think we are." He expanded on that saying the Rangers need to have a "complete reset, just completely start over from scratch." When asked what that meant, Trocheck explained, "Well, we can't do what we just did, so it's got to be completely different from today."
The loss against Boston Today saw them lose by eight goals, and it was one of their worst losses in recent memory. The Rangers lost 7-0 against the Devils in 2023, and also lost to them again 5-0 in December of 2024. In terms of his loss in a historical context, the Rangers also lost 10-3 to Boston back in 1977, and 10-2 on November 13, 1973.
The Rangers have been a flawed hockey team for the majority of the 2025-26 season, and the result against Boston isn't simply explained by saying that Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin were out of the lineup because of injuries. Missing those two players should result in a game where you lose by eight goals. Instead the loss, which just so happened to be on national television, is a moment that brings into focus how much work needs to be done, and it should be obvious to the Rangers' brain trust that things aren't going to get better to the point where they can be looking to make additions at the trade deadline.
The math hasn't been, and will continue not to be in the team's favor. The Rangers have now played 46 games this season, and have a record of 20-20-6 for 46 points. The Washington Capitals hold the top Wild Card spot and have 52 points in 45 games, and the Pittsburgh Penguins sit behind them with 51 points in 42 games. The Rangers being back five and six points respectively while having played more games puts them at a disadvantage when trying to gain ground.
A stat that's part of a bigger article tomorrow: The Rangers have 13 games left before the Olympic Break.
— Adam Herman (@AdamZHerman) January 7, 2026
If they win 10 of those 13 (without Fox and Igor among others), their points percentage would still be below the current playoff threshold. pic.twitter.com/HpguepTYsV
The above tweet was before the Rangers lost to Buffalo and Boston, and that just adds to how unlikely their chances of making the playoffs are.
It is time to start thinking about the future
As bad as things are going for the Rangers, they will have a chance to use this lost season as an opportunity to make improvements that position themselves to compete next season. Their poor play should result in them having a pretty good first round draft pick, and it is a good thing they sent Vancouver a 2025 pick to complete the J.T. Miller trade instead of a 2026 pick.
During the game Emily Kaplan spoke about the Rangers' deadline plans, and reiterated that Chris Drury has full support from ownership to do whatever he wants, and if the team isn't in the playoff picture before the Olympics there will be a mini retool. She also explained that the talks of an extension for Artemi Panarin have gone nowhere.
Panarin has a full no movement clause, and he will control his fate. It is quite possible he wants to play the rest of the season in New York, and then sign with a new team in free agency. That said, I would expect Panarin to want to have the chance to be in the playoffs, and try and be in a position to maximize his value before hitting free agency for the last time in his career.
Panarin is one of the Rangers' most valuable assets, and if they are able to trade him it will make it easier for them to move forward with the remainder of their business. That includes moving players on expiring contracts like Carson Soucy, and it could also include testing the market to see if there is interest in someone like Vincent Trocheck. Trocheck is having a more productive offensive season than last year, and he's got a reasonable contract with a bit of term that could be appealing to a playoff contender looking to put their group over the top.
While Trocheck has been a useful player for the Rangers, they need to make significant changes to how the roster is built, and it is more important for them to identify and acquire foundational pieces before worrying about the supporting cast.
What comes next for the Rangers?
For now the fanbase will need to see how the Rangers respond to the loss. It is possible teams don't want to make moves before the Olympic break, but Drury should be working the phones to see if he can get things started. That would help create additional opportunities on the roster for players like Gabe Perreault who have been relegated to bottom six duties.
Even though the season is lost, it is valuable to learn how players respond, and see if they are progressing as expected. Perreault is an easy example to look at, because he is someone the organization has high hopes for. If he's not at the level the team expects, it will inform the front office as so far to how many pieces they will need to bring in to build a roster that can compete in the playoffs for 2026-27.
Things seem bleak right now, but the Rangers need to lean into being bad, and use this as an opportunity to make up for the previous half measures they've taken, and build a team that will maximize Fox, Sheterkin, Sullivan, and the other players who they feel have what it takes to be part of a winner. Being passive would allow the spiral to continue, but luckily it seems like the front office knows they need to act, fans just need to wait until things get started.