It was the biggest storyline around the New York Rangers during the 2025–26 NHL season, but Vincent Trocheck stayed put after the trade deadline. However, reports suggest he could be shipped out of the Big Apple when the Stanley Cup Playoffs come to an end. Not that Trocheck or the Blueshirts are competing in them, but a potential suitor for the veteran center probably is.
An early postseason elimination may be all a team needs to be convinced never to experience such heartbreak again, and one might think Trocheck is the kind of seasoned player who can help prevent that. After all, the Rangers made their asking price for Trocheck clear. Even accounting for NHL inflation, teams may already know what the Rangers want, and a trade for Trocheck could finally materialize.
“Teams know what the Rangers want,” Elliotte Friedman stated on the 32 Thoughts podcast. “I always assume after the playoffs are over, someone who loses early is going to say ‘you know what? We could use Vincent Trocheck.'”
Has Rangers’ asking price changed?
Two things must be considered. On the one hand, that the 2025–26 NHL season will be over, meaning New York will be under no sense of urgency. Secondly, the Rangers will reportedly reject draft picks in return for a potential Braden Schneider trade, so it’s reasonable to believe the Blueshirts’ price may have changed for Vincent Trocheck as well.
Vincent Trocheck at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Perhaps, not even a first-round pick is going to cut it to acquire Trocheck. New York is under no obligation or huge rush to move on from Trocheck, so it can afford to engage in long, drawn-out trade conversations. It’s not like the Rangers will lose Trocheck anytime soon.
Trocheck’s contract on NY Rangers
Vincent Trocheck signed a seven-year, $39.38 million contract ($5.6 million AAV) with the New York Rangers in July 2022. Thus, he remains under contract through the 2028–29 NHL season. Following that campaign, he will become an unrestricted free agent before turning 36 in July 2029.
New York can still take its time before trading Trocheck, but the Rangers are also aware he could soon age past his prime. His value may have already peaked, and a rough start to the 2026–27 campaign could cause his price to plummet. That’s part of the reason why many viewed the Blueshirts keeping Trocheck past March’s deadline as a burden rather than a blessing for the organization in Manhattan.
Even if the Rangers have set their price for Trocheck, the market itself may force it down, and—sooner or later—the Blueshirts will have to accept whatever return is available. If not, they may simply hold on to their asset long enough to watch it depreciate. Business isn’t booming in The Big Apple, and the Rangers might be wise to take whatever they can get before it’s too late.
Rangers could speed up rebuild
Moreover, the sooner the Rangers can trade Trocheck, the faster their rebuild—or retool, as New Yorkers like to call it—might yield results. Trocheck—whose modified no-trade clause (M-NTC) shrinks from a 12-team no-trade list to a 10-team list—is the biggest trading chip New York possesses. Every other star on the team is either signed to a full no-movement clause (NMC) or is too valuable for the Rangers to consider dealing.
Alexis Lafreniere is the lone exception, as he falls into a gray area. Signed through the 2029-30 season, his contract will include an 8-team no-trade list after the 2026–27 campaign. If the Blueshirts want to give up on their former first overall pick in 2020, this next year will be their best window to do so.
New York has several decisions to make, and none of them are easy. For a front office that’s been through the wringer like Chris Drury and company, they better hope for some divine help—or it might be all she wrote for their time in the City That Never Sleeps.
SurveyIf Trocheck is traded, which team makes the most sense for him?
If Trocheck is traded, which team makes the most sense for him?
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