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The latest round of New York Rangers rumors points towards the reasons why GM Chris Drury overplayed his hand at the NHL trade deadline.

The New York Rangers made some notable changes to their roster this season to kick off their retool. They traded away multiple players, with star forward Artemi Panarin being the most notable. They also dealt Carson Soucy, Brennan Othmann, and Sam Carrick to new teams this season, too.

The Rangers moving on from multiple players this season was not surprising in the slightest. This is because general manager Chris Drury announced during the season that the Rangers were starting a retool. With the moves he made so far, it is clear that he has stayed true his word.

However, with the Rangers still being in the early stages of their retool, there is an expectation that they could trade more of their players during the offseason. Due to this, one of their best players has been named the NHL’s top trade candidate to watch heading into the offseason.

Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck Named NHL’s Top Trade Candidate of 2026 Offseason

The Athletic’s Chris Johnston recently released his first trade board for the 2026 NHL Offseason. Without much surprise, Rangers star Vincent Trocheck was given the No. 1 spot on Johnston’s latest trade board.

“The veteran center spent most of the season at or near the top of our trade board and remains there now. 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,” Johnston wrote.

When noting that the Rangers listened to offers for Trocheck leading up to this year’s deadline, there is no question that he is a prime trade candidate heading into the summer. With Trocheck being a proven top-six center who has an affordable $5.625 million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season, he would have the potential to get the Rangers a significant return in a move.

While Trocheck is still a very good player at this point in his career, it is hard to see him being a long-term part of the Rangers’ plans. At 32 years old, he simply is no longer a fit on a Rangers club that is more focused on the future. Due to this, it would make sense if the Rangers moved him this summer.

Which Teams Could Look to Acquire Rangers’ Trocheck?

With Trocheck being an impactful center who plays a strong all-around game, he should have plenty of suitors this offseason. Teams looking for a boost at their second-line center spot, in particular, should be making a push for Trocheck this offseason.

A few teams that stand out as potential landing spots for Trocheck include the Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, and Pittsburgh Penguins.

It will be interesting to see where Trocheck ends up landing this offseason, but it seems inevitable that his time in New York will be coming to a close. In 67 games this season with the Rangers, Trocheck posted 16 goals, 37 assists, 53 points, 64 penalty minutes, and 193 hits.