Breaking Down Who Could Replace Vincent Trocheck if NY Rangers Trade Him

Who could replace Vincent Trocheck on the roster if the New York Rangers trade him?

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (16) skates against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers will be working hard the next couple of months with a very important offseason arriving for the franchise. One of the biggest decisions they will have to make is regarding a key veteran. 

After another year of missing the playoffs, the Rangers are continuing to try to retool their roster. New York is a group that still has some good things in place, but definitely has some needs. 

Fortunately, despite having the worst record in the Eastern Conference this year, they will be entering the offseason with two first-round picks and a lot of cap space. New York certainly has the ability to turn things around quickly, but how they try to go about it will be the biggest question. 

Furthermore, even though they will undoubtedly be looking to add, they also still have a couple of tradable assets that they didn’t move during the season. However, if they do elect to trade veterans, young players will have to step up to help. 

Noah Laba Could Be Vincent Trocheck’s Replacement

New York Rangers center Noah Laba / Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

As New York heads into the offseason, one of the most-talked-about names for the team is going to be their veteran center. After entertaining offers on him at the trade deadline, that will likely continue this summer. 

At 32 years old, Trocheck is going to be a valuable trade chip for New York, especially with the salary cap going up. He is set to make $5.625 million for the next two years, which, for his level of production, is very strong. As recently shown by Charlie Coyle, who is older and not as productive as Trocheck, getting a six-year, $36 million deal, teams will likely be highly interested in bringing in New York’s forward. 

However, if the team does trade him, replacing what he brings to the middle will be challenging. The prospect pool for the Rangers up the middle isn’t overly strong, but they did have a talented rookie in Noah Laba emerge. 

This season, the 22-year-old was a solid player for New York, totaling 24 points with nine goals and 15 assists. If the Rangers do deal Trocheck, he could be the most logical choice to have an expanded role and replace him. 

Developing young players hasn’t been a strength of the Rangers in recent years, but they did see a good young crop make an impact this season. However, as the team continues to try to get younger, more will be asked of them.