NY Rangers No Longer Have the Best Trade Chip in the NHL

The NHL offseason trade board features a shakeup near the top that has a direct impact on the New York Rangers.

Feb 28, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (16) at Madison Square Garden. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The NHL offseason is officially upon us, and that means New York Rangers trade rumors are going to heat up.

They are a team that many people are keeping an eye on this summer because of the position they are in. The Rangers need to add talent to the organization after finishing in last place in the Eastern Conference, but have some intriguing trade assets that could be on the move as well.

Their best trade asset is Vincent Trocheck. The veteran center was involved in plenty of rumors ahead of the MLB trade deadline, but New York decided it would be best to hold onto him and see how the market developed in the summer.

It looked like a great idea. With free agency lacking impact players after so many re-signed with their franchises, Trocheck emerged as the best center readily available this offseason. He was the No. 1-ranked target on NHL offseason trade boards, that was, until Dylan Larkin joined the party.

Vincent Trocheck drops in NHL offseason trade board

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

He requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings, which sent shockwaves through the league. And now, in the latest NHL trade board rankings shared by Chris Johnston of The Athletic (subscription required), he has surpassed Trocheck.

Larkin is No. 1 on the board, which will certainly complicate things for the Rangers. He plays the same position as Trocheck and is three years younger. While his $8.7 million annual average over the next five years is more than the $5.625 million annual average of New York’s veteran, it is still considered favorable based on his production.

Both are impact players, but the Rangers are going to have to be patient now to get a deal done. Unless a team is completely out of the Larkin sweepstakes, it is easy to envision a deal involving the Red Wings’ speedy center getting done before attention turns to Trocheck.

What Trocheck does bring to the table more so than Larkin is playoff experience. Detroit hasn’t made the playoffs in 10 straight seasons; Larkin has five games of playoff experience in his rookie season with the Red Wings.

Dylan Larkin trade request complicates things for Rangers

Apr 2, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (71) controls the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Trocheck has 56 games of postseason experience with the Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes and New York. However, Larkin’s success with Team USA in the Milan Olympics and 4 Nations Face-Off cannot be discounted, as those are big stages as well.

The pressure is on Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury to get a Trocheck deal done in the near future. Larkin joining the trade block certainly complicates things, but Trocheck reportedly has a good market to take advantage of.