It’s a New York state of mind—utter chaos and constant frenzy. The New York Rangers cannot help but reflect their surroundings, and their season is spiraling out of control, headed straight for the NHL’s basement on an express train. With the buzz growing louder around the building, Vincent Trocheck addressed rumors surrounding a players’ meeting to discuss General Manager Chris Drury.
The Rangers have now lost eleven of their last fourteen games, and frustration is mounting among the players. Head coach Peter Laviolette is struggling to identify the team’s shortcomings, and his decisions are backfiring, leading to drastic changes. After serving as a healthy scratch against St. Louis, Kaapo Kakko voiced his feelings towards the coaching staff, and was traded away shortly after.
Chris Drury entered Madison Square Garden in hopes of operating a contender in the NHL, not making friends. His stance was made crystal clear after trading captain Jacob Trouba, yet, as he shipped off another long-tenured player in the roster, the players may resent the GM’s decisions.
However, forward Vincent Trocheck has set the record straight on a reported players meeting after the loss to the Los Angeles Kings on December 14.
Vincent Trocheck #16 of the New York Rangers is called for a roughing penalty against the New York Islanders during the third period during the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium on February 18, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“If we have a closed-door meeting, with just the players, I think the last that we’d do is complain about our general manager,” Trochek told Mollie Walker of The New York Post. “When we have closed-door meetings in here, it’s about us. It’s about what we can do.
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“Obviously, we’re in a little bit of a hole right now, and it’s about what we can do to get out of it. It has nothing to do with management. They do their job. Chris is doing his job to try to put the best players on the ice to succeed. We are those players, and we have to go out there and preform.”
Awful timing for Kakko’s trade
The Rangers have sent all the wrong signals as of late. First, Kaapo Kakko served as a healthy scratch when other players seemed more deserving of being sidelined. Moreover, Laviolette stated the decision was purely strategic and denied any trade talks surrounding the 23-year-old Finn. However, just two days later, Kakko was shipped off for what seemed a very low price.
Kakko was traded to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen, a third-round pick, and sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL entry Draft. It’s still early to tell and both players could benefit from a fresh start, but it seems the Kraken got the better of the deal.
Former Carolina Hurricanes Center Vincent Trocheck (16) warms up before the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Carolina Hurricanes on March 8, 2020, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
Kakko speaks after trade
The Finnish winger has been straightforward on his statements ever since arriving in NYC in 2019. Just like he commented on Laviolette’s decision to scratch him, Kakko didn’t mince words when addressing his trade out of the Big Apple.
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NHL News: Rangers coach Peter Laviolette issues bold statement to the team after loss to Predators
“Fresh start, I feel that’s what I needed right now,” Kaapo Kakko stated, via The New York Post. Kakko also admitted the Rangers had previously kept conversations with him about a possible trade.
Kakko didn’t have the career he expected in New York, and viceversa, New York felt they didn’t get as much from Kakko as they hoped after spending a second overall pick on him. Kakko played 330 games for the Blueshirts, recording 60 goals and 71 assists (131 points) through six seasons.
