NY Rangers actively shopping former first-round pick amid Vincent Trocheck speculation

After winning gold in the 2026 Winter Olympics, Vincent Trocheck, J.T. Miller, and Mike Sullivan enjoyed the time of their lives with Team USA. However, it’s time for them to return to earth. The way the 2025-26 NHL season has gone for the New York Rangers, the golden Americans are in for a rude awakening as they return to The City That Never Sleeps.

Artemi Panarin is gone, off to his next chapter with the Los Angeles Kings. His locker at Madison Square Garden now sits empty. Looking at it, the Broadway Blueshirts are reminded of what their downfall has cost them. Panarin made a sincere confession about facing Sullivan and the Rangers, but his farewell message doesn’t offer much consolation for an organization that is truly up against the wall in the NHL.

Now, Sullivan could lose even more assets. Trocheck may not be the only key player on the trade block. According to a report, former first-round selection Braden Schneider is being shopped.

“The Rangers are still taking calls on Braden Schneider as they consider any and all trade options on the roster except Igor Shesterkin,” as stated by Nick Kypreos on Sportsnet.

Braden Schneider of the NY Rangers

Schneider’s numbers

Selected with the 19th overall pick in the 2020 NHL entry Draft—the same year the Rangers drafted Alexis Lafrenière first overall—Schneider still has room to grow.

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So far in his career, Schneider has appeared in 343 games, recording 20 goals and 60 assists for a total of 80 points, which amounts to a 0.23 points-per-game average. Until the Olympic break in the 2025-26 NHL season, Schneider registered just 11 points (2 G and 9 A) in 57 appearances. For the Rangers, that is simply not enough.

Still, the Blueshirts acknowledge their situation isn’t exactly compatible with becoming a cradle for high-end talent. Thus, it may be best to give up on Schneider and settle for draft picks to try again in the future.

Schneider is a pending RFA

Schneider, 24, is set to become a restricted free agent (RFA) in the summer of 2026. It looks like the Rangers have made up their minds and they won’t be handing their young blueliner an offer. Instead, they might try to move on from him before the trade deadline.

There is a silver lining for the Blueshirts. Even if they lose Schneider to free agency, because he is an RFA, they would receive compensation in the form of a draft pick. Obviously, the risk-reward balance means New York may be forced to stand and watch as Schneider untaps his full potential somewhere else.