Years ago, I wrote about how it would've been a great idea for the Philadelphia Flyers to try to sign free agent center Vincent Trocheck. At the time, he was a free agent fresh off a successful stint with the Hurricanes and was looking for a new home. He found it with the NY Rangers.
Since then, the NY Rangers went from being one of the best teams in the NHL to among the worst...and rather quickly, too. Aging and expensive contracts had to be cut. Last year, it was Artemi Panarin, but they also traded K'Andre Miller to the Hurricanes. Allegedly, this is where Trocheck comes in.
Rumor has it that the Rangers are shopping him. They tried to deal him at the deadline but were unsuccessful. So, now it's time to see if they can move him this offseason. He'd be an easy grab. He's got three years left on his contract, which will be $5.625 million. He'll be 33 at the start of next season and would provide a great veteran presence for this team.
Positives of Trocheck
He is legitimately a guy in the mold of a Rod Brind'Amour/Rick Tocchet. It comes down to fundamentals with him. He can score, having scored 16 goals in a shortened season this year, and more than 20 goals and 50 points over the last four years. He is one of the best men in the faceoff circle, topping out at 56.9% this past season. He hasn't been under 50% since 2015-16. He doesn't turn the puck over a lot and is a great guy to battle in the corners. He also had two goals and 14 assists on the power play. That's one more than Zegras and would've led the Flyers. He's also a season removed from leading the NHL with six shorthanded goals.Â
For someone who plays in the mold of Tocchet and who has learned under Brind'Amour, he can help the young guys figure out how to play under the Tocchet style. Likewise, he can help the team learn how to adjust to play against the Carolina Hurricanes. He could be a secret weapon who can help Trevor Zegras, Noah Cates, and Jett Luchanko elevate their games to the next level.
Downsides of Trocheck
For starters, he's going to turn 33. Now, while that is younger than me, that's starting to get up there in hockey years. Granted, there are some freaks out there who can still be great until they are older. Alex Ovechkin, for one, is still performing, at the age of almost 41, better than most players in the NHL. Nobody, however, will confuse Trocheck for Ovechkin.
He is coming off a year where he was plagued by injuries, benched for a trade that didn't happen, and scored just 16 goals. He battled a lung infection for part of the season. To be fair, he did play for a Rangers team that struggled to do anything right offensively anymore.
He's at an age when players start to decline. Having him on for three more seasons is a commitment. At least he is cheap for a player of his quality. However, if this team wants to embrace a "youth movement", would a 33-year-old be clogging the path?
The Cost to Acquire Trocheck
This is kind of a tricky one. The Flyers, after attending to their priorities, could easily handle a contract of Trocheck's size. At the same time, what would the Rangers want?
They'd probably want a first-rounder to start. Maybe a couple mid-level picks (a 3rd or 4th) could help. You are probably looking at a prospect or two. They probably want a defender or a power forward prospect in return. For the Flyers, this could be a package of a 2027 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, maybe a Cole Knuble or Jack Berglund, and either a Spencer Gill, Artem Guyev, Helge Grans, or David Jiricek-level defender.Â
Would that be enough? Apparently, Toronto is preparing a package for him that could include their top prospect, Easton Cowan. At the trade deadline, Minnesota reportedly offered a package around prospect Charlie Stramel and a 1st-rounder, but the Rangers wanted Danila Yurov instead. Buffalo may offer up Konsta Helenius. From everything the internet is saying, it looks as if the Rangers want a 1st Rounder + 1 Top Prospect to begin the conversation. In fact, that could end up being a 1st round pick, Oliver Bonk, and maybe another player or pick. Too high or just right?
Is it worth it to get Trocheck? Maybe. A player like that can greatly improve the Flyers up the middle. If you want to acquire a top-tier center, here is your best shot since the free agent pool is older and comes with more questions, and the RFA pool comes with more risk and cost.Â
It really comes down to what the Flyers would have to give up prospect-wise. I'd hate to give up on Luchanko. Denver Barkey and Porter Martone are off limits for this. Some of the glut of second-round defenders down below could be parted with without second thought.Â
I'd love to have him. I think he can advance this team to the next level. If the Rangers want to sell him, all the better for us, as that would keep them down for another season or so. I just don't want to overpay for him. He's good, but his best years are behind him. He could be revitalized playing on our team, but it wouldn't be worth giving up too much of the future either. More importantly, this might be the sort of move that Daniel Briere might see as setting the team back if the cost gets that high. It might be worth checking in on, but the Rangers aren't going to sell cheap, especially to a divisional rival.
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