Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck linked to Central Division contender

Amid the New York Rangers’ rough 2025-26 season, sitting at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, rumors are circulating that veteran center Vincent Trocheck could join the Minnesota Wild, a playoff contender in the Central Division.

The Rangers appear to move quickly from one major storyline to the next. After trading Artemi Panarin, they are now exploring options for Trocheck.

Trocheck signed a seven-year, $39.3 million deal with New York before the 2022-23 season, which included a full no-movement clause for the first three years, giving him complete job security.

Starting with the 2025-26 season, that clause became a modified no-trade clause, allowing him to block trades to 12 teams. The list will shrink to 10 teams next season and six for the final two years of his contract. However, it appears the Rangers won’t wait that long to make a move.

Meanwhile, Minnesota is aiming to make a stronger playoff push after acquiring Quinn Hughes and is likely looking to add a center. They want an upgrade to compete with the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche and make a deeper run.

Currently, their center depth includes Ryan Hartman, Joel Eriksson Ek, Daniil Yurov, and Nico Sturm. Of these, only Eriksson Ek projects as a top-six center. GM Bill Guerin appears to be targeting a center from an Eastern Conference team.

“There’s no mystery about him…Bill Guerin feels about Vincent Trocheck after selecting him to join Team USA. Trocheck is excellent in the faceoff dot, which holds appeal for Minnesota,” NHL insider Chris Johnston said.

Trocheck is more than just a top-6 center. In his three seasons with the Rangers before this one, he scored 20+ goals each year, recorded at least 59 points, finished top-20 in Selke Trophy voting twice, and maintained a 56%+ faceoff rate. He logs big minutes on the power play and penalty kill.

Pairing Trocheck with Eriksson Ek in Minnesota’s top-6 could be very effective. The Wild would need to pay for his three remaining years at $5.625 million AAV. His 12-team no-trade list shrinks to 10 next season and six in the final two years. After investing in Hughes, the Wild appear ready to go all-in to maximize its Stanley Cup window.