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New York Rangers star Vincent Trocheck may have just hinted at his next destination. Following the deal involving Artemi Panarin, the center is now arguably the top player set to be traded ahead of the deadline. Rangers GM Chris Drury has made it clear that the club will retool, making several key players available.

Although Trocheck has three more years remaining on his current contract, New York is listening to offers for the center. Along with the term, the veteran is also earning a fairly modest $5.6 million annual salary. He only has a 12-team no-trade clause in the deal as well. These factors mean that the Rangers should receive a solid return if they are to move the star.

It was recently revealed that New York is eyeing a first-round pick and young players for Trocheck. Several teams, including the Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, and Carolina Hurricanes, have been linked with the center in recent days. Any of these three teams could afford to appease the Rangers in a potential deal. Nevertheless, the Wild has emerged as the frontrunner for the veteran.

Trocheck has now fueled speculation over a move to Minnesota while with Team USA at the Olympics. According to Michael Russo, the center jokingly pretended to join Wild players and coaches for a team photo in Italy. Minnesota’s Matt Boldy, Brock Faber, and Quinn Hughes are all his American teammates at the event.

Vincent Trocheck’s Time With the New York Rangers is Likely Coming to an end

GettyVincent Trocheck is expected to be traded in the coming weeks.

Along with the three players, several Wild staff members are also involved with Team USA. Assistant coach John Hynes, athletic trainers John Worley and Travis Green, and team physician Dr. Joel Boyd are all working under Minnesota GM Bill Guerin at the Olympics.

Guerin, in particular, would obviously be instrumental in potentially bringing Trocheck to Minnesota. The Wild exec has even recently admitted that he is looking for the same type of player as the Rangers star. “I’d like to add a forward at some point in time if it makes sense,” Guerin stated on the Fellowship of the Rink podcast, as reported by The Athletic. “If we can do it. It’s always talked about with our team, adding a center. Of course, we’d love to have a center.”

Trocheck would seemingly be the perfect trade candidate for the Wild. Despite this, there could be a significant problem in the deal. It was recently revealed that the center prefers to remain in the Eastern Conference. If he sticks to this, it could put the Western club out of the running. Nevertheless, the star does not have as much leverage as Panarin did when he specifically chose the Los Angeles Kings.

Rangers Hoping for Best Possible Trade Return

Either way, the Rangers will only be looking to maximize value in a deal involving Trocheck. Unlike the Panarin situation, New York has quite a bit of power in the talks involving the center. Because of this, the Rangers are expected to get at least close to what they ask for in a potential trade.

If Minnesota offers New York the best package for the player, he will likely move there. Although Trocheck does have a 12-team no-trade clause, his joke at the Olympics may very well point to the Wild not being on the list. NHL teams are currently in a roster freeze, and trades cannot be completed until February 23.

Christopher Moore Christopher Moore has been a Heavy.com contributor since 2025. With over a decade of experience in the industry, he has published thousands of articles reporting on multiple professional sports. He was previously a sports writer for World Soccer Talk, the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and the Maryland Sports Blog. More about Christopher Moore

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