The Rangers did not rush into moving Vincent Trocheck, even after the offseason started tilting toward a younger roster and a reshaped lineup. There was at least some internal pause before New York finally sent him to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Sean Durzi, forward prospect Cole Beaudoin, and a 2027 third-round pick.
That hesitation came up on the final episode of the season for the 32 Thoughts Podcast, where Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said the Rangers had considered keeping Trocheck for the upcoming season.
“I was a little surprised that they did not keep Trocheck when they traded for [Pavel] Dorofeyev. I just think, like, Dorofeyev is a talented guy, and he can score, but, you know, he's a killer on the power play, and in Vegas, he had guys setting him up.
And, you know, they still have some talent there, [Mika] Zibanejad, obviously, [J.T.] Miller, obviously, but Trochek really could have helped that.
And I actually heard that the Rangers thought about it, but I just think it was, it was time. I think for Trochek, it was time.
And we'll talk more about him in the Utah section, but even though I think the Rangers kind of thought about keeping him, I just think everybody had been too far gone, it was time," said Friedman.
That lines up with how the Rangers’ offseason unfolded. They had swung and missed on names like Dylan Larkin and Brady Tkachuk, and that made the question worth asking: would keeping Trocheck have been the safer play heading into the 2026-27 season?
Instead, New York leaned into the trade market and came away with Dorofeyev, giving the forward group a legitimate young scorer. Once that deal was in place, holding onto Trocheck would have made the top six even deeper.
Still, the Mammoth’s offer changed the equation. Durzi gives the Rangers the puck-moving defenseman they were looking for and steps into a top-four group that also includes Adam Fox, Vladislav Gavrikov, and Marcus Pettersson. What had looked like a concern on defense now looks much more stable on paper.
Beaudoin adds another piece to the organization’s prospect pool, which has drawn criticism for its lack of NHL-ready forward talent in the AHL. The 88 points he posted in 54 games with the Barrie Colts in the OHL make him an intriguing center with middle-six potential, and a strong training camp could even put him in the mix for a Rangers roster spot.
In the end, New York weighed its options and decided the return was worth moving on from Trocheck. Like so many of general manager Chris Drury’s decisions, this one will be judged closely from here.
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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 🡒]