Vincent Trocheck is set to return to the New York Rangers’ lineup on Monday night against the Nashville Predators.
Trocheck has missed the past 14 games after suffering an upper-body injury on Oct. 9 against the Buffalo Sabres that landed him on long-term injured reserve.
On Monday, Trocheck practiced on a line alongside Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafrenière, two players he’s familiar with.
With the Rangers struggling to generate offense at home, Trocheck’s return comes at the perfect time.
“I think he’ll give our team a jolt,” Sullivan said of Trocheck. “His presence alone, from a leadership standpoint, means a lot to this group. The hockey side of it goes without saying. He's a terrific hockey player, so it'd be nice to get him back.”
The 32-year-old forward has been Mr. Reliable since coming to New York in 2022, as he’s played in all 82 games for the Rangers over the past three seasons.
That’s why it was especially difficult for Trocheck to watch his team from afar.
“It’s miserable,” Trocheck said. “I don’t like missing time. The first time I've missed games since I've been in New York, and the last time was I think (in) 2021, and I had a kidney issue. I’m not one to miss games for being hurt.”
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With the New York Rangers’ offensive struggles continuing to haunt the team, they brought up their most offensively gifted reinforcement.
Trocheck is feeling good going into his first game back, so he appears to be fully healthy. He admitted that this game on the calendar against the Predators was specifically pinpointed for him to return to the lineup.
“As far as getting my legs back under me and getting the conditioning part back, (I’ve) been doing a lot of stuff on the ice, so I feel like my conditioning is there,” Trocheck said. “Everything is there.”