The New York Rangers had a chance to make a clear decision at the trade deadline, but instead, they chose the safer path. For a team already stuck in a disappointing season, holding onto a valuable asset raised more questions than answers. Several people across the league expected the front office to act while the market was active.
Now the choice to stand still feels like a gamble that could look worse with time.
Rangers Draw Criticism for Keeping Vincent Trocheck at Trade Deadline
The Rangers chose not to trade Vincent Trocheck when the NHL trade deadline passed on March 6. The veteran center was one of the most discussed names during deadline week, but the Rangers kept him after the offers did not meet their expectations.
Trocheck is currently in the fourth year of a seven-year, $39,375,000 contract with a $5,625,000 annual cap hit. The agreement runs through the 2028-29 season and includes a modified no-trade clause. Reports during deadline week suggested the Rangers were seeking a return that likely included a first-round pick along with a notable prospect.
Several teams reportedly contacted the Rangers about the center. The Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, and Boston Bruins were among the teams connected to Trocheck in league reports. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman also said during 32 Thoughts that Boston explored the possibility of acquiring him before the deadline.
The decision to keep the 32-year-old has drawn attention from analysts around the league. NHL insider Pierre LeBrun addressed the situation in a column for The Athletic and questioned whether the Rangers missed their strongest opportunity to move the player.
“I think the New York Rangers made a mistake not taking their best offer for Trocheck before the deadline,” LeBrun wrote. “His value was probably the highest it’s going to be, fresh off an Olympic gold-medal performance where he was a key member of a perfect penalty-killing unit for Team USA.”
LeBrun also noted that Trocheck will turn 33 in July and still has three years left on his current contract. Because the Rangers are undergoing roster changes, he questioned whether waiting until the offseason would yield stronger trade offers.
“He’s got three more years on his deal at a $5.625 million cap hit with a modified no-trade clause,” LeBrun wrote. “I’m not exactly sure how the trade offers are going to improve between now and the offseason.”
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Another point of discussion involved Carolina’s interest during the final days before the deadline. During Saturday Headlines, Ron MacLean addressed the speculation about the Hurricanes’ involvement. “Carolina and Trocheck, that was a hot rumour,” MacLean said, while Friedman added that the discussions stalled because “the price was too high.”
After the game against the New Jersey Devils, the center described the experience of waiting for the deadline to pass. “I don’t know. I was just happy for it all to be over with,” Trocheck said on Saturday. “It’s a stressful waiting game whenever you’re in talks like that. So for me, it was just a roller coaster of emotions. Now that it’s done with, for now, it’s nice.”
For now, the Rangers move forward with Trocheck still on the roster. However, the discussion around that decision is likely to continue as the organization moves forward and evaluates its next steps.
