The Montreal Canadiens are keeping an eye on Vincent Trocheck, but the New York Rangers center is carrying one very real complication into any potential trade talk: Montreal is on his no-trade list.
That was the key point NHL insider Frank Seravalli made on Frankly Hockey, where he said the veteran’s trade protection has not changed.
“Vincent Trocheck’s no trade list has not changed,” Seravalli said. “There was some talk… about the Canadiens, they might monitor the Trocheck situation, they’re on his no-trade and that hasn’t changed.”
Frank Seravalli: Vincent Trocheck's no trade list has not changed; there was some talk…about, the Canadiens, they might monitor the Trocheck situation, they're on his no-trade and that hasn't changed - Frankly Hockey (6/26)
- NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) June 28, 2026
So while Montreal’s interest appears real, the path forward is blocked unless Trocheck agrees to waive his modified no-trade clause.
The 32-year-old still has plenty to offer if the Rangers decide to move him. He put up 53 points and 193 hits in 67 games last season, and he also played a role in Team USA’s Olympic gold medal run at the 2026 Winter Games.
From Montreal’s side, the fit is easy to understand. The Canadiens reached the Eastern Conference Final with a young core, and a proven two-way center would be a clean way to add more muscle to a group that’s already making noise.
Trocheck brings the kind of game that tends to travel. He can handle faceoffs, contribute in all situations, and bring postseason experience to a lineup still growing into itself. His $5.625 million cap hit through the 2028-29 season also looks manageable for a player with his track record.
But none of that matters much if Trocheck doesn’t want Montreal on the map. Seravalli’s update makes that clear: the Canadiens are still on his no-trade list, which leaves the Rangers with less room to maneuver even as they explore options.
New York is said to be looking for a significant return as general manager Chris Drury continues to sort through possible roster changes. With Trocheck under contract for three more seasons, the Rangers don’t have to rush into a bargain deal.
For now, this is a wait-and-see situation. Montreal can track the market, New York can test the waters, and Trocheck can decide how far he wants this to go. Unless that no-trade list changes, the Canadiens may have to keep watching from the outside even if the hockey fit is obvious.
In Other News...
Rangers Fans Can Feel Another Drury Twist Coming After Dorofeyev
Pavel Dorofeyev is in the door as part of the Rangers roster retooling, and for a front office that has already shown a willingness to keep adjusting the pieces, it feels like the start of a larger summer rather than the finish. Chris Drurys name remains attached to plenty of the speculation around what comes next, especially with free agency approaching and New York still weighing the kinds of additions that can deepen the lineup without forcing a bigger reset.
Mats Zuccarello keeps hovering in the background as a possible reunion, while Beck Malenstyn and Mason Marchment have also surfaced as types of players who could fit what the Rangers are trying to build. The uncertainty is part of the story now because Drury has not made himself available to explain where the club stands, and until he does, the sense around the team is that another move could arrive quickly or the board could stay still a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Fans Wont Like Which Current Piece Just Entered Trade Buzz
Trade chatter around the league usually starts to take on a different feel once teams begin sorting out their own roster plans, and that is where the Capitals and Flyers have found themselves. Washingtons GM Chris Patrick confirmed he has spoken with the agents for Brandon Duhaime and Trevor van Riemsdyk, though he would not say whether either player is set to return, while Kevin Weekes reported the Capitals are still hunting for a defenseman and forward depth and have interest in pending UFA Boone Jenner.
For Rangers fans, the more relevant part is how quickly these offseason conversations can spill into broader trade buzz around the league. The Flyers have their own contract questions to settle with Rasmus Ristolainen, and NHL trade target lists are already starting to surface names tied to notable contenders, including pieces that could easily draw attention from New York if the market keeps heating up. [Read more 🡒]
Alexis Lafrenieres Rangers Future Suddenly Feels Far Less Certain
Alexis Lafrenires name has surfaced in the kind of offseason chatter that always follows a disappointing stretch for a player with his profile, and it has naturally pulled the Rangers into the conversation. Reports suggest some analysts have floated him as a trade candidate, while the team has done what front offices often do this time of year and quietly gauged the market as part of broader due diligence rather than a sign of an imminent move.
The timing is what makes the discussion interesting in New York. Lafrenire has one season left before a modified no-trade clause kicks in, so the window for any real decision is getting tighter whether the Rangers intend to use it or not. For now, the sense around the situation is that the club is weighing options, other names are in the trade mix too, and Lafrenire remains more a topic of speculation than a player on the block. [Read more 🡒]