Vincent Trocheck had been considered the biggest candidate to leave the New York Rangers via trade before the 2025-26 NHL deadline. According to reports, it will stay that way as the Blueshirts made up their minds about parting ways with Braden Schneider, Adam Fox, and Igor Shesterkin.
While Fox and Shesterkin were always more of a longshot to leave the Blueshirts before the trade deadline, nothing can be taken for granted in the NHL. Thus, as the Rangers could cross off one suitor in the Vincent Trocheck sweepstakes, because of the simple rule of thumb in the league, the suitor may remain in the mix, too.
However, one thing appears to be clear. If the Rangers were to part ways with any more players before the NHL trade deadline, it would likely be Trocheck who headed out the door. Schneider is reportedly staying put, but it could only be a matter of time before he isn’t anymore. Meanwhile, Fox and Shesterkin will have time to talk about their futures in the offseason.
According to Emily Kaplan of ESPN, the Rangers are punting any trade talk around Schneider to the summer. Fox and Shesterkin can be placed in that category, as well. However, New York will be much more reluctant to moving on from its best defenseman and goaltender.
Schneider is on an expiring contract
Unless he is traded in a late-confirmed move after the deadline, Schneider will become a restricted free agent (RFA) when the 2025-26 NHL season comes to a close. As a result, the situation for New York is nowhere near as stressful as it’d be if he was to become an UFA.
Because of Schneider’s RFA status, any team that wants to sign him shall hand an offer sheet, which the Blueshirts hold the right to match and retain their young blueliner.
What can happen in free agency
In the event that the Rangers lose the bidding battle—which isn’t really one—the team that signs Schneider must send a compensation draft pick to New York. If New York and Schneider can’t agree on an extension, the latter is eligible for arbitration, which could settle their differences.
In that case, the league will step in and determine a fair contract. That would be a last-ditch effort, as well as one of the worst-case scenarios for the Rangers. Therefore, it’s more likely they would rather trade Schneider away than go through all that trouble.