Vincent Trocheck’s move to the Utah Mammoth finally makes sense now that he’s explained why he was willing to lift his no-trade clause.
The Rangers spent months trying to find a landing spot for their former center, but the deadline market never lined up the way they hoped. Trocheck had a short list of places he was open to, and Minnesota was widely seen as a possible fit. That never materialized, and New York’s front office never got a package from the Wild that matched what President and General Manager Chris Drury wanted.
Dylan Larkin’s availability this summer only made the situation tougher for the Rangers, but they eventually got a deal done with Utah. That came after Trocheck had previously blocked a trade, so his first comments as a Mammoth player offered the clearest look yet at what changed.
During his first media session with Utah, Trocheck pointed to the team’s direction and said, "it was just going to a team that I think can win was the most important thing for me."
That lines up with what he said earlier in the year, when he made his priorities plain before the deadline: "I am 32 years old. I would like to win a Stanley Cup. So if I am going to get traded I would like to go to a team that's winning or has a chance to win."
Utah wasn’t always on the list. Trocheck originally wasn’t eager to go there, but his stance shifted as he looked more closely at what the Mammoth are building. The team’s youth clearly mattered, and so did his familiarity with Logan Cooley, one of Utah’s top players.
Trocheck and Cooley had already been talking about the possibility for weeks before the deal was finalized. Trocheck said, “We were talking about it for a couple weeks leading up to it…he was texting me every day…asking me what was going on.”
He added, “We’d always fantasize about what it would be like to play together.”
Ownership also played a role in his decision. Trocheck said he was encouraged by what he heard about Ryan Smith and the way he treats players in the organization.
He explained it this way: “Going to a team that I think can win was the most important thing for me.”
And then: “Talking to a lot of the players…the way Ryan treats the players…how awesome it is here.”
For the Rangers, the deal at least brought some closure after a messy stretch. Trocheck gave them strong value during his time in New York, and he earned a move to a situation he feels good about.
He has played 868 NHL games overall, including 313 with the Rangers. He left New York with 89 goals, 164 assists and 253 points, and his 0.81 points per game with the Rangers topped the 0.71 he posted with Carolina and the 0.67 he had with the Florida Panthers.
New York also came away with Sean Durzi, who gives the Rangers a needed boost on the right side, and Cole Beaudoin, a center prospect with upside. Beaudoin is expected to begin the season with Hartford, though a strong camp could change that.
Trocheck’s first comments in Utah close the loop on the trade for now. The next time this one really gets revisited will be when he walks back into Madison Square Garden as a visitor.
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