Vincent Trocheck Trade Rumors With Canadiens Clarified

How close were the New York Rangers to trading Vincent Trocheck to the Montreal Canadiens?

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 are a team that people will be keeping a close eye on this summer because of all the trade rumors they are going to be involved in.

Team president and general manager Chris Drury and head coach Mike Sullivan have not been shy when discussing what the team will be on the lookout for this offseason. They would love to add a top-six forward to the mix and find some depth at defenseman, all the while improving the organization's pipeline of youth.

Accomplishing all of that in one offseason is easier said than done, but the Rangers could certainly get a good jump on their to-do list by moving one of their trade chips, veteran center Vincent Trocheck.

Viewed as one of the likeliest players to be moved this offseason, there are going to be plenty of suitors lining up for him. One team to keep an eye on is the Montreal Canadiens, who were showing interest ahead of the trade deadline in March.

Canadiens weren't actually close to acquiring Vincent Trocheck

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

There have been some rumors swirling that the Canadiens attempted to make a deal before the deadline that fell through, and Trocheck was their target. Eric Engels of Sportsnet shared an update on X, clarifying those rumors.

“The Canadiens never had a deal in place for Vincent Trocheck, nor did anything get particularly close in that dossier. That said, interest in good, competitive, intense players who happen to play centre has been stated by management at different points. Don’t think that’s waned…” he wrote on X.

It is fair to assume that some talks between New York and Montreal were had. They didn’t get close to the finish line to finalize a trade, but the Canadiens are still in the market for the kind of player that Trocheck would be described as.

Options at the center position are limited this summer in free agency. Teams are going to be calling the Rangers about Trocheck, who is arguably the No. 1 trade target that is seemingly available to be acquired.

The Canadiens never had a deal in place for Vincent Trocheck, nor did anything get particularly close in that dossier.
That said, interest in good, competitive, intense players who happen to play centre has been stated by management at different points. Don’t think that’s waned…

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) June 2, 2026

New York was so deep in trade negotiations ahead of the deadline that he was scratched from the lineup as the front office worked through different scenarios. Alas, their asking price wasn’t met, with the belief that the summer time could yield better offers.

Interest in Trocheck is going to be incredibly high. He is an established player willing to do the little things to help a team win as a two-way player, including being part of a penalty kill unit.

This past season in 67 games, Trocheck recorded 53 points, scoring 16 goals and handing out 37 assists. He would be a nice upgrade for teams looking to upgrade in the middle of their lineup.