The Minnesota Wild had their hands in all sorts of jars ahead of the February trade deadline, but the one deal they didn’t make was trading for New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck.
The Wild and Rangers were rumored to have talks about the 32-year-old leading up to the deadline. But New York’s high asking price kept a deal from happening. General manager Bill Guerin may have hoped that price could have come down to a reasonable level as Minnesota searches for a No. 1 center this offseason, but that may not be the case as The Athletic’s Chris Johnston listed Trocheck as the top asset on his trade board ahead of this offseason.
“The veteran center spent most of the season at or near the top of our trade board and remains there now,” Johnston wrote. “After scratching Trocheck for roster management purposes prior to the trade deadline in March, the Rangers opted to hold on to him in anticipation of stronger offers in the summer. Those conversations have since resumed. Trocheck is an appealing target for teams looking to get stronger down the middle as a solid faceoff man and penalty killer who can handle heavy, difficult minutes. The fact that he’s an Olympic champion doesn’t hurt either.”
Wild’s Vincent Trocheck pursuit won’t be any easier this summer
Johnston’s summary makes Trocheck the perfect target for the Wild this summer. Minnesota needs help at the center position and adding him would be a boost for a penalty kill that was lit up for 15 power play goals on 38 chances (61.6 percent kill rate) during the playoffs. Trocheck would also solve a Wild weakness in the faceoff circle, where he won 56.9 percent of his draws last season and 54.3 percent of faceoffs during his 13-year career.
Mix in a previous relationship with Guerin as part of the United States Olympic team and there’s enough there for the Wild to be interested. But like many trade targets, the hold up could be the Rangers’ asking price.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported that the Wild offered 2023 first-round draft pick Charlie Stramel, the team’s 2027 first-round pick and “another player or prospect” in exchange for Trocheck ahead of March’s deadline, but the Rangers balked.
That decision could pay off as the Rangers head into the summer. The free agent market has already dried up a month before the start of the new league year on July 1 as Charlie Coyle (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins) have already agreed to terms with their current teams as the top centers available. This leads the Wild to the trade market, but they won’t be alone as other teams look to upgrade down the middle.
Johnston’s comments only fan the flames of a bidding war and if the price gets too high, the Wild may have to pivot to other options. But the Wild have been eyeing Trocheck for a while and you could argue if Guerin paid up, Minnesota could have handled the loss of Joel Eriksson Ek during last year’s playoff run.
Now, the Wild will have a chance to get Trocheck again. But the bigger question is how much they’ll have to pay to get a deal done.
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