It’s difficult to feel good about how the Artemi Panarin era ended for the New York Rangers. The return from trading him to the Kings was less than stellar, but general manager Chris Drury has a chance to make up for it with another deal.

Redemption can come in the form of trading away center Vincent Trocheck. Moving on from the veteran is a tough pill to swallow, but it’s something the Rangers need to do, especially if they want to maximize their roster retool. Luckily for them, Trocheck is the best player available on the trade block, and plenty of contenders could make a run for them.

One team that could emerge as a viable trade partner for the Rangers is the Detroit Red Wings. Here’s why that would be beneficial for the Rangers.

Trading Vincent Trocheck to the Red Wings would make up for Artemi Panarin disaster

First off, the Rangers should be able to receive a premium return for Trocheck, even though his production is down this sesaon. But he plays center, a position that playoff contenders are searching for before the March 6 deadline. A player that can win faceoffs? Trocheck can do that. Plus, he can score, and perhaps a change of scenery with a better roster could help accomplish that.

The Red Wings have learned from their mistakes of the previous couple of years and are looking to buy at the trade deadline to help increase the odds of ending their playoff drought. Red Wings General Manager Steve Yzerman is seeking a No. 2 center for their roster, with the catch being that they have term remaining on their contract.

Luckily for the Rangers, Trocheck has just that, being under contract through the 2028-29 season. That would be perfect for the Red Wings, as they have the roster to make playoff runs during that span.

But what players could the Rangers get from the Red Wings in return for Trocheck? Rangers reporters for The Athletic, Vince Mercogliano and Peter Bough, went through 10 teams that fit as destinations for Trocheck. When discussing the Red Wings, they mentioned young players like Nate Danielson and Marco Kasper as potential center pieces for a trade.

Danielson is a center and a 2023 first-round pick by the Red Wings. This season, he split time between both the Red Wings and the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. With Detroit, Danielson has two goals and five assists through 28 games. But in 15 games with Grand Rapids, Danielson has three goals and 10 assists.

As for Kasper, he is a young player with plenty of experience in the pros. He showed promise last year, scoring 19 goals and dishing out 18 assists through 77 games played. The hope was that he could improve his production, but it has only resulted in six goals and seven assists through 57 games this season. The thing is, he is willing to put his body on the line and hustles. Here is what The Athletic’s Corey Pronman said about Kasper, as he was ranked 42nd in the top players and prospects 23 years and younger list (subscription required):

“Kasper is a very likable player due to how hard he works. He has offensive talent, with quality speed, puck skills, vision and finishing ability but the pure offense in his game is not what gets you excited about him, His motor is outstanding, he plays in traffic, throws his body around and has a legit edge in his game. He projects as a two-way top six forward, potentially a second-line center who may not score a ton in the NHL, but his coach will be able to trust him in any situation,” writes Pronman.

Kasper really does feel like the perfect fit for the Rangers, given that he does have an edge to his game, can score, and hustles. The thing is, would Yzerman even consider moving Kasper in a trade for Trocheck? Well, if Trocheck market explodes, with contenders like the Carolina Hurricane or Minnesota Wild making a seriouos push for him, the price may very well increase to the point where Kasper may have to be heading out to New York.

Luckily for the Rangers, the Red Wings have a deep pool of young prospects and players, as they have eight ranked in Pronman’s top 137 players 23 and younger list, which includes other top prospects like wingers Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Carter Bear.

Rangers fans, if you want Drury to get a premium return for Trocheck, the Red Wings may be the team you have to root for.