GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Vincent Trocheck is prepared for the New York Rangers to trade him before the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, but has made it clear he will not accept a deal that sends him to the West Coast.
The 32-year-old center has three years remaining on a seven-year, $39.375 million contract ($5.625 million average annual value) he signed with the Rangers on July 13, 2022.
Trocheck, who won the gold medal with Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, has 38 points (12 goals, 26 assists) in 45 games this season.
He confirmed he has a 12-team no-trade list, that teams on the West Coast are on that list, and that Rangers general manager Chris Drury has been transparent with him about the possibility of being moved.
Trocheck also said he has spoken with his family about the potential of him being traded, including hard conversations with his 7-year-old son Leo and 5-year-old daughter Lennon.
“They hear a lot of stuff at school, so it’s just kind of managing their emotions about everything and trying to get them prepared,” Trocheck said. “So I have to tell my son like, ‘Hey, there’s a chance we’re not here.’ That takes some time to talk to him about that and get him accustomed to that feeling. But aside from that, for me, on a day to day, like, I’ve been doing this my whole life, right? If I get traded, I’m fine. I’m not worried about myself. I’m more worried about my family. That’s the only thing that I have to worry about.”
Coach Mike Sullivan said following the morning skate Monday that he has not been informed that a trade is imminent, so Trocheck is expected to be in the lineup when the Rangers play the Columbus Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, NHLN, MSG).
“He’s such an impactful player on both sides of the puck with how he plays the game,” said Sullivan, who was Team USA’s coach at the Olympics. “You saw what he did in Milan with the Olympic team. You see what he does here for our team in New York. He’s a good player. He’s a great person. Sometimes the business of the game is difficult, and this is part of it.”
Trocheck said his desire is to be traded to a team that is in position to contend for the Stanley Cup this season. He acknowledged that’s partially in his control with the 12-team no-trade clause in his contract.
“Well, I do want to be a on team that’s a good team,” he said. “If I’m going to get traded and it’s to a team that’s in the same situation as us, then I don’t want to move. That sounds miserable in a new city. And I am 32 years old. I would like to win a Stanley Cup. So if I am going to get traded I would like to go to a team that’s winning or has a chance to win. I have a 12-team no-trade clause so the teams that are on that are obviously teams I don’t want to go to.”
While he confirmed that teams on the West Coast are on his no-trade list, he would not name specific teams.
“Yeah, it’s not a secret, they are on my no-trade clause,” Trocheck said. “Family is important to me. My family’s on the East Coast.”
Trocheck has been prepared for the possibility of being traded since Drury released a letter to the Rangers fanbase Jan. 16 stating the team would be retooling the roster to get younger, acknowledging players who were important to previous successes would be leaving.
New York traded forward Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 4. Defenseman Carson Soucy was traded to the New York Islanders on Jan. 26.
Trocheck has 238 points (85 goals, 153 assists) in 291 games with the Rangers since 2022-23. He has 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 23 Stanley Cup Playoff games, including 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 16 games in 2024, when the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Final.
“I think having that time (since the letter was released) helps just to get accustomed to the idea of, hey, maybe I’m not going to be here anymore,” Trocheck said. “But still, I’ve only been traded once in my career.”
He was traded by the Florida Panthers to the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 24, 2020.
