The Rangers didn’t need to sit around and wait for the Dylan Larkin situation to sort itself out before moving Vincent Trocheck, and the latest reporting makes that look like the right call.
New York finally dealt Trocheck on July 1, the first day of free agency, sending the center to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Sean Durzi, forward prospect Cole Beaudoin, and a 2027 third-round pick. It wasn’t the kind of blockbuster haul plenty of fans probably had in mind, but it did give the Rangers two things they clearly wanted: a puck-moving defenseman in Durzi and a young center prospect in Beaudoin, who just posted 88 points in the OHL this past season.
The timing matters here because Trocheck had effectively been pushed down the center market once Larkin became the bigger name. That created the sense that New York could afford to wait, let the Larkin domino fall, and then maximize Trocheck’s value. But that strategy depended on Larkin actually moving.
According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Larkin still hasn’t expanded his trade wishlist beyond the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights.
St. James also reported that none of those three teams has put together an offer strong enough to get Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman to sign off on a deal.
That lines up with what The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported earlier, when he said Yzerman had asked Larkin’s agent, Pat Brisson, to widen the list. Weeks later, that hasn’t happened. Yzerman also said after the draft that he does not necessarily have to honor Larkin’s trade request, which leaves the whole thing stuck in place.
LeBrun also said he had heard around the league that the Rangers were leaning toward waiting on Larkin before moving Trocheck, with the idea that they could control the center market. In hindsight, that could have been a risky play. If the Larkin situation drags into the regular season, as it now seems possible it could, New York might have watched other Trocheck opportunities disappear while waiting for a market that never really opened.
Instead, the Rangers took the Mammoth’s offer when it was there. It filled needs, and it removed the uncertainty. And with the way the Larkin market has stalled, that looks like a smart piece of business.
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For the Islanders, the message is just as direct with Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. Despite outside interest, they are not looking to move either center, a sign that the organization still sees both as core pieces rather than names to shop. In a division where rival teams are always probing for leverage, that kind of firm line matters, especially with the Devils also waiting on a separate roster decision elsewhere in the Metro. [Read more 🡒]
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Chris Kreider Could Be Pulled Back Into A Rangers Debate
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Now the Ducks roster math is getting tighter, and that is where Kreider could get pulled back into the conversation. After the Leo Carlsson offer sheet and Pavel Mintyukov extension, Anaheim may have to clear salary, and Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman suggested Pat Verbeek could be forced to move one or more veterans to make it work. Frank Vatrano and Alex Killorn are also in that mix, which leaves open the possibility that Kreider, once thought to be settled in Orange County, could become part of a new trade debate all over again. [Read more 🡒]