Over the weekend Artemi Panarin dominated most the headlines during Hockey Night in Canada's headlines segment, and while the return the New York Rangers could get for their star winger is important, moving Vincent Trocheck is the key to making the Rangers' retool a succes. Trocheck has had a positive impact for the Rangers since returning to the lineup, and is having a productive January.
When Chris Drury penned the Letter 2.0. he was direct about the team not standing pat, and it being a situation in which they would be retooling and not rebuilding. Some might think moving someone like Trocheck would be a signal that the Rangers are not going to contend for a little while, and that would put them in a position where they are closer to rebuilding. It may seem that way at first, but there's a method to the madness.
Trocheck is Rangers' most valuable trade chip right now
While Panarin is a superstar player, Elliotte Friedman's report on Hockey Night in Canada outlined what the Rangers are trying to acquire in a deal for their leading scorer.
In the case of Trocheck, he's a productive and cost effective player under contract for three additional seasons beyond the 2025-26 campaign. He's a proven playoff performer, and he's center who can win faceoffs which is something many contenders try and address at the deadline. It's been 14 years since the Nashville Predators traded a first round pick to the Buffalo Sabres for Paul Gaustad, a bottom six center who was one of the league's best at winning faceoffs.
It isn't unreasonable to think that there's a team out there that values a player like Trocheck enough to part with a current roster player, a first round pick, and a decent prospect. Such a package would benefit the Rangers in a few different ways, and would assist with expediting the retool.
A Trocheck trade can set off a chain reaction
At a bare minimum, the Rangers will be a worse hockey team this season without Trocheck. That will enable the Rangers to fall further down the standings and improve their chances of landing a better lottery pick. That will also free up a spot in the top six, and will give the brain trust a chance to evaluate players already within the system in an increased role.
In terms of the pieces that would come back, either the Rangers could use them to plug holes in their lineup, or keep them to the side for later use in a trade. It doesn't appear that there will be an impact player available in free agency for the Rangers to sign, and that means Panarin's replacement will have to come via trade. As it stands, the team doesn't have many premium assets available, and that's why it is important to sell high on pieces like Trocheck and Panarin.
The success of next year's team doesn't hinge on Trocheck
Trocheck isn't going to be a needle mover for the group as currently constructed next season. But the pieces he could fetch, and what the Rangers could do with them, is an entirely different story. There are going to be a lot of important decisions to be made after the season is over. It is possible that includes looking at players like J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad to identify what their impact will be in the coming years. Both have no movement clauses, and I'd expect both want to remain in New York a little while longer. And because that's the case, the Rangers need to get as much as they can for pieces that aren't nailed down. That might eventually involve Alexis Lafrenière, but I imagine that's a last resort transaction, if ultimately made, would come in the offseason.
Trocheck's been a great contributor for the Rangers, and it will be tough to see him go. The same was once said about Derick Brassard, and trading him landed Blueshirts an all-team great in Zibanejad. The Rangers have only five games left to go before the Olympic break, and fans should make the most of their opportunity to see fan favorites take part in what could be their final games as Rangers.