The Rangers didn’t just shop Vincent Trocheck this offseason - they aimed high in the process.
When New York finally landed on a deal with the Utah Mammoth, the return was defenseman Sean Durzi, prospect Cole Beaudoin and a 2027 third-round pick. But according to Elliotte Friedman, Beaudoin was not the young player the Rangers were originally after.
“The one thing about Utah is when you talk to them, they make it very clear that they're not really interested in trading those guys. When they did Trocheck with the Rangers, the Rangers tried to get one of those guys,” Friedman said during an appearance on a recent episode of Oilers NOW with Bob Stauffer.
The names New York had in mind were Tij Iginla, Caleb Desnoyers and Ethan Belchetz.
That tells you plenty about how the Rangers viewed Trocheck’s value. He was a major piece in the market for months, a player whose name surfaced ahead of the NHL trade deadline and even led to him being held out of a game when talks picked up. A deal didn’t come together then, and New York kept him, convinced his value would be better in the summer.
Eventually, Utah came forward with an offer the Rangers were willing to take.
The front office’s logic wasn’t hard to follow. New York needs help down the middle for the long haul, and Mika Zibanejad and J.T.
Miller are both 33 years old. If you’re dealing a productive two-way center like Trocheck, you try to swing big.
Utah, though, wasn’t moving its top young talent. All four players involved in the discussion were first-round picks for the Mammoth since the franchise’s inception, and the club made its stance clear on the three players New York wanted.
Iginla went No. 6 in the 2024 NHL Draft, while Beaudoin was selected No. 24. Desnoyers came off the board at No. 4 overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, and Belchetz was taken at No. 17 this year.
Beaudoin may not have been the Rangers’ first choice, but Friedman said he has a shot to become a solid player. Still, the ceiling appears lower than the other prospects New York reportedly chased.
The consensus view is that he projects as a bottom-six forward, with a No. 3 center role seen as his best realistic path. If everything breaks right, he could grow into a No. 2 center, though that isn’t the expectation many evaluators share.
That gap in upside is what makes this deal look like a strong one for Utah. For the Rangers, it was about pressing as high as possible and seeing what the market would yield.
In Other News...
Rangers Keep Finding Painful New Ways To Lose On The Road
The Rangers went into Scotiabank Arena looking to stop a rough road stretch, and for much of the night they at least gave themselves a chance. New York rallied late to tie the game in the third period, turning what had been another frustrating outing into a tense finish against Toronto, only to watch the Maple Leafs seize control in the closing seconds and leave the visitors empty-handed in a 5-4 loss.
For a team that keeps searching for answers away from home, the ending only added to the discomfort. Toronto spent the final minute dictating play after the Rangers had briefly drawn level, and the late swing fit the pattern of a road trip that has offered New York very little margin for error since early October. The Leafs also got a milestone night from Sergei Bobrovsky, whose latest win tied a franchise mark, but the Rangers will be focused on how quickly another tight game slipped away. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Start Has Put One Metro Debate Front And Center
One month into the season, the Metropolitan Division picture has already shifted enough to make the Rangers a central part of the conversation. Carolina has settled into the top spot, Washington has also forced its way into the upper tier, and New York sits right there in the mix as the division starts to take shape. With the Devils, Islanders, Blue Jackets and Flyers trailing in that order, the early returns have made this more than a simple standings check. It is a snapshot of where the race stands and which clubs look built to stay in it.
For the Rangers, the intrigue goes beyond just where they are ranked. Their start has sparked a broader debate about how much of the division hierarchy is real and how much could still change once the schedule gets deeper and the coaching battles, roster strengths and star play start to separate contenders from the pack. New Yorks place near the top is clear, but the more interesting question is how long it can hold if the teams around it keep pressuring from above and below. [Read more 🡒]
James Dolan Is Now Tied To Another Big Blakeman Push
Bruce Blakemans run for New York governor picked up another major boost this week, with a dark-money group founded by Trump ally Taylor Budowich sending $2 million to the super PAC backing his campaign. The recipient, Strong and Safe New York, was founded by James Dolan and has become one of the central outside vehicles supporting Blakeman as the race heads into its final stretch.
The latest contribution lands after fundraising events tied to both Donald Trump and Dolan, adding another layer of high-profile support around Blakemans effort. For Dolan, whose name keeps surfacing in the governors race through this super PAC, it is another reminder of how deeply the campaign has become entwined with powerful donors and Republican-aligned heavyweights. [Read more 🡒]