The New York Rangers are in the thick of a tough 2025-26 campaign, sitting at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and clearly shifting into seller mode ahead of the trade deadline. After already parting ways with Artemi Panarin, the focus now turns to veteran center Vincent Trocheck - and the Minnesota Wild are emerging as a potential landing spot.
Trocheck, who signed a seven-year, $39.3 million contract with the Rangers before the 2022-23 season, has been a key piece in New York’s forward group. That deal came with a full no-movement clause for the first three years, giving him complete control over his future.
But starting this season, that protection loosened into a modified no-trade clause - meaning Trocheck can now block trades to 12 teams. That list will shrink to 10 next year and just six in the final two seasons of his deal.
The Rangers, however, seem ready to act now rather than wait for those restrictions to ease further.
Enter the Wild - a team that’s clearly in win-now mode. After swinging a big deal to bring in defenseman Quinn Hughes, Minnesota is signaling that it’s not content to just make the playoffs - they want to make noise once they get there. And to do that, they’re reportedly eyeing an upgrade down the middle.
Right now, the Wild’s center group features Ryan Hartman, Joel Eriksson Ek, Daniil Yurov, and Nico Sturm. Eriksson Ek is the only one who firmly projects as a top-six center, and while Hartman and Sturm bring value in different roles, there’s a clear need for another high-end option to solidify that forward core - especially if they want to go toe-to-toe with the likes of the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche in the Central Division.
That’s where Trocheck fits in.
He’s not just a middle-six plug-in. Over his first three seasons with the Rangers, Trocheck consistently produced, scoring 20 or more goals each year and putting up at least 59 points annually.
He’s been a fixture on both the power play and penalty kill, logging big minutes in all situations. Defensively, he’s earned respect as well - finishing in the top-20 in Selke Trophy voting twice during that span.
And in the faceoff circle, he’s been rock-solid, winning over 56% of his draws. That kind of two-way reliability is exactly what playoff teams crave.
NHL insider Chris Johnston noted that Wild GM Bill Guerin is already familiar with Trocheck, having selected him for Team USA. That familiarity - combined with Trocheck’s faceoff prowess and playoff-tested game - makes him an appealing target for a team looking to fortify its top six.
If Minnesota can pull off the deal, pairing Trocheck with Eriksson Ek down the middle would give them a formidable one-two punch at center. It won’t come cheap - Trocheck carries a $5.625 million cap hit for three more seasons - but after the move for Hughes, it’s clear the Wild are pushing their chips in. The Stanley Cup window is open, and they’re looking to make the most of it.
Whether the Rangers and Wild can come to terms remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Vincent Trocheck’s name is firmly on the trade radar, and his next destination could have major playoff implications.