After an impressive win to start 2026, 5-1 in the Winter Classic over the Florida Panthers, the New York Rangers lost the next two games and find themselves three points out of last in the Eastern Conference. They are also ranked last in points percentage in the conference, with just 46 points earned in 45 games played.
The injuries to Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox make the hole they have to climb out of much deeper. As the Trade Deadline gets closer, they could see themselves become sellers, and two names they should be gauging offers on are Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere.
Lafreniere Will Never Live Up to His Potential in New York
The fanbase was so excited when the Rangers won the draft lottery in 2020 to earn the first-overall pick in the draft. They all thought they were getting a player in Lafreniere who could be the next superstar for this franchise for the next 10 to 15 years.
Now, six seasons into his career, it seems the writing is on the wall that he will never become that player in New York. While his development and deployment early on in his career could have been handled better, Lafreniere has been a consistent presence in the top six for the last three seasons, and he has yet to take the ball and run with it.
The best season of his career came during the 2023-24 season, when he scored 28 goals and recorded 57 points in 82 games played. He was signed to a seven-year contract extension early on last season after having his career-best season, and ever since signing the deal, he’s looked like a shell of himself.
He only has nine goals and 24 points in 45 games played this season, so he is on pace for less than 20 goals and 50 points once again. It’s tough to see because other first-overall picks like Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini have turned into superstars for their respective teams, while the Rangers’ first-overall pick is invisible most nights.
Trocheck Could Be the Top Center on the Trade Market
At this time of the season, all teams that are looking to make the playoffs want to add to their center core as you need a great group of centers to win a Stanley Cup. If Trocheck were made available for trade, he could become the top center on the trade market, and the Rangers could get a good haul for him. He is the perfect second/third-line center you want heading into the playoffs.
Trocheck plays hard, plays physical, and gets into the opponent’s head with the way he plays. He has scored 11 goals and recorded 26 points in 31 games played this season.
Related: New York Rangers Need Chris Drury to Have a Great Trade Deadline
Trocheck also wouldn’t be a rental to the team he gets traded to. He still has three more years on his contract after this season at $5.625 annually. With the way the salary cap is going up and with a player like Christian Dvorak getting $5.15 million from the Philadelphia Flyers on a five-year extension recently, teams would rather have a player like Trocheck, who is under contract for less than market value and has consistently played at a 55 to 60 point pace.
If the Rangers decided to make him available, Trocheck could become their most valuable trade chip, and the assets they get back from him could help set them up for a better future.
The Time Has Come to Truly Break up This Core
You can argue that the core of this team was broken up last season with the trades of Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba, but a majority of that group is still here, and the results have shown that they are not good enough. If the Rangers decide to sell, they have to move on from Artemi Panarin because it’s clear they don’t want to give him the term and money he’s looking for on his next deal, and you can’t let a player like him walk for nothing in free agency.
Moving on from Panarin means that this is officially a step-back season, and that a retool is necessary in order to make the team better going forward. So, moving on from Panarin shouldn’t be the only big move they make, and trading players like Trocheck and Lafrienere, who have been here and haven’t won anything, should definitely be considered at this point.
Vincent Trocheck of the New York Rangers celebrates with teammates after scoring the winning goal in second overtime against the New York Rangers in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
While it seems unlikely that a full-blown rebuild would happen, the retooling of this roster has been necessary for years now, and with the lack of success the team is having right now, it only makes the fans want to see it more. You can keep players like Fox and Shesterkin as they are still in their primes and are key pieces moving forward, but anyone else should be fair game to move.
Players like Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller, even though he was just named captain, should also be considered as trade chips for general manager Chris Drury. The time has come to move on from this core that failed to get the job done numerous times, and it starts by seeing if you can trade some of them by the deadline.
The Rangers are in an interesting spot, as they are three points out of last in the East, but also only five points back of a wild-card spot. However, their inconsistency all season long should be enough proof that this team isn’t close to being playoff-bound.
The time has finally come for Drury to realize that this core is not good enough to win a Stanley Cup. The selling off of players could start sooner rather than later, and moving on from players like Trocheck and Lafreniere should be considered as the trade deadline gets closer.
