As Rangers fans debate the pros and cons of a Vincent Trocheck trade, we all seem to agree that if he is traded, it’s a trade Chris Drury really needs to get right. Drury’s price is known, and there’s a solid chance he will get that price should a team underperform in the playoffs…or if a team is in desperate need of a veteran center to “change the culture,” so to speak. Given the circumstances, a Vincent Trocheck trade could mirror what the Rangers did with Derick Brassard, which means there’s one logical target that presents the highest upside.
The Derick Brassard trade wasn’t popular at the time
Let’s turn back the clock to July 18, 2016 when the Rangers traded Brassard to Ottawa for Mika Zibanejad and a 2nd round pick (later used to acquire Rangers legend Brendan Smith). The trade wasn’t popular at the time because Brassard was a fan favorite who had just scored 27 goals. He was their best trade chip and Jeff Gorton recognized this, getting the younger Zibanejad for a declining asset in Brassard. Brassard never hit 20 goals or 60 points again in his career.
In Brassard the Rangers had a scoring center with term on a cheap contract, something teams coveted then and still covet now. At 28 years old, there was still some good hockey left in him, but had the Rangers held onto him for one more year, they wouldn’t have received such a package.
One key to remember is Zibanejad was not viewed the way he is today. A sixth overall pick, Zibanejad had spent four years in Ottawa, eclipsing 20 goals twice and 50 points just once before he was sent to New York. Brassard was viewed as someone who could stabilize the center position for Ottawa. Zibanejad was viewed as a high ceiling potential 1C that hadn’t put it all together yet, and the Rangers were taking a risk.
Sure did work out, right?
This is a classic case of benefiting from trading a player one year too early over one year too late.
A Vincent Trocheck trade could follow the same pattern
The situations are not identical, but a Vincent Trocheck trade could be used to mirror the Brassard trade if Chris Drury plays his cards right. We know now that Drury was holding out for a young NHL player, and that’s why a Vincent Trocheck trade didn’t materialize by the trade deadline. We don’t know for sure exactly what held up the Minnesota trade, with fans speculating Minnesota balked at including Danil Yurov in the trade.
Now as more teams hit the offseason with different needs, Drury’s asking price in a Vincent Trocheck trade could shift, especially if the Rangers land one of Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg, giving them another highly skilled winger. It would give the Rangers the ability to take a bit more risk in a Vincent Trocheck trade, much like how Jeff Gorton took a risk on Mika Zibanejad, a high pick that hadn’t hit those expectations yet.
The player that best fits this mold is Shane Wright, who is rumored to be available, though it’s unclear what Seattle would want. They aren’t a Vincent Trocheck away from being competitors. Marco Kasper in Detroit would fit this mold, but I can’t see Steve Yzerman making a trade like that.
A wild card is Quinton Byfield in LA, which I could see as a potential fit. There’s a case that a Vincent Trocheck trade would reunite him with Artemi Panarin and be a boost in scoring, something LA is starved for as the lowest scoring team–by a country mile, mind you–currently in the playoffs. Ken Holland could see a Vincent Trocheck trade as the missing piece in the top six to replace Anze Kopitar and join Panarin, Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, and Alex Laferriere in their top six.
All of these players represent some level of risk as the primary return in a Vincent Trocheck trade. Byfield will be hitting his sixth NHL season with just two 50-point years as a second overall pick. Wright hasn’t put it all together yet. Kasper is unproven but has a high ceiling.
It will be interesting to see how Drury navigates the Vincent Trocheck trade. There are so many possibilities and, given Drury’s lack of transparency, no one truly knows what he’s thinking. The Rangers need as much young skill as possible, even if it comes with some risk, and that may (should?) be Drury’s approach.
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