Wendell Cruz-Imagn ImagesIt’s no secret that the New York Rangers will look to find a new destination for Vincent Trocheck before the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline.
A trade involving Trocheck seems inevitable, and Trocheck himself is not blind to that fact.
With about four days before the deadline strikes, Trocheck did not hide the fact that his future is not fully in his hands.
The 32-year-old forward holds a 12-team no-trade clause in his contract, which allows him to partly dictate his next destination.
“I feel like I’m as involved as I can be,” Trocheck said. “I only have a 12-team no-trade clause. It's not like I have full protection and I need to be in on every single phone call. I mean, me and Dru (Chris Drury) have a great relationship. He's been very open and honest with me and transparent. So I feel like I get as many calls as a player could get.”
Given Trocheck’s manageable $5.625 million cap hit until 2029 and strong two-way skillset as a center, he’s one of the more desirable players on the market leading up to the trade deadline.
Trocheck emphasized that his preference is to remain on the East Coast due to family-related reasons if he were to be traded.
“I’m sure you're relating to the I don't want to be out west talk on Instagram or Twitter or whatever,” Trocheck said. “It’s not a secret, they’re on my no-trade clause list. Family is important to me.”
The only reason Trocheck finds himself on the verge of being traded in the first place stems from Chris Drury’s Jan. 16 letter to fans outlining the Rangers’ plans to retool and trade some veteran players, with the grand focus set on the future.
The Rangers currently sit in last place in the Eastern Conference standings, and their chances of making the playoffs are virtually impossible at this point in time.
Outside of location, Trocheck prioritizes joining a contending team that has Stanley Cup aspirations.
“If I’m gonna get traded to a team that’s in the same situation as us, then I don’t want to move,” Trocheck said “That sounds miserable in a new city. 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.”
Despite the ongoing trade rumors, Mike Sullivan confirmed that the Rangers don’t plan to hold Trocheck out of the lineup to protect him from injury as of right now.
Trocheck is slated to play on Monday night at Madison Square Garden against the Columbus Blue Jackets in what could possibly be his final game as a Ranger.