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The New York Rangers may secure a better trade return for Vincent Trocheck now that Charlie Coyle has re-signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Coyle's six-year, $36 million contract removes a top center from the free-agent market, potentially increasing interest in Trocheck.
Danny Wild-Imagn Images
If the New York Rangers decide to trade Vincent Trocheck this offseason, they might be looking at a better return package now that center Charlie Coyle is off the market. The Columbus Blue Jackets re-signed the 34-year-old Tuesday to a six-year, $36 million contract, taking the best of a slim free-agent crop of centers off the market.
Coyle, whoâs a year and a half older than Trocheck and plays a similar strong two-way game, scored 20 goals and was fourth on the Blue Jackets with 58 points in 2025-26. He has 543 points (209 goals, 334 assists) in 1,032 NHL games with the Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Blue Jackets.
Given their similarities, Coyleâs reupping with Columbus very well could be a boon for New York, giving the Rangers more potential suitors â and potentially a bigger return â if they decide that trading Trocheck would help the âretoolâ that president and general manager Chris Drury announced in a letter to fans on Jan. 16.
Coyle's re-signing removes a top center from the market, potentially increasing Trocheck's trade value by attracting more suitors.
Charlie Coyle signed a six-year, $36 million contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Both Trocheck and Coyle are strong two-way players, with Coyle being a year and a half older than Trocheck.
The retooling plans indicate the Rangers' intention to improve their roster, which could involve trading players like Trocheck for better assets.

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Simply, if Trocheck is available in a trade, as expected, thereâs no free-agent center that compares to him nor has his varied skill set. Evgeni Malkin and Claude Giroux are the big-name centers available in free agency. But at age 39 and 38, respectively, neither offers the overall package Trocheck does at this point in their careers. Scott Laughton of the Kings is a nice player, but his resume pales next to Trocheckâs.
And we know that most teams could use a top-nine center with a top-six skill set, like Trocheck, whoâs a two-time NHL All-Star, and seven-time 20-goal scorer.
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There was much speculation before the NHL Trade Deadline that Trocheck would be headed elsewhere, especially after he was held out of the lineup for roster management reasons in the game before the deadline. But when push came to shove, Drury opted not to make a trade, saying that the packages he was offered in return for one of the Leagueâs best two-way centers werenât good enough. The gamble was that he could get a better return this summer for a player who still has three seasons left on a contract with an affordable AAV of $5.625 million.
Trocheck, who turns 33 on July 11, scored at least 20 goals in each of his first three seasons on Broadway and had a career-high 77 points in 2023-24. Though he spoke openly about wanting to go to a Stanley Cup contenderand doubtlessly knew that the Rangers wished to move on from him in March, Trocheck played hard down the stretch and finished tied for fourth on the Rangers with 53 points this season (16 goals, 37 assists) in 67 games. He also won 56.9 percent of his face-offs â as well as helped the United States win a gold medal at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February.
Heâs probably the one veteran the Rangers could move who should bring back a solid return to help restock the roster and advance the retool.
So what exactly could they get for Trocheck, a player whose value is beyond question, but who will be entering his 14th NHL season when he reports to training camp in September?
Figure the package Drury wants starts with at least two pieces â a talented young player currently playing in the NHL, and/or one whoâs NHL ready or a future first-round draft pick. The Rangers already have two first-round selections, including No. 5 overall, in this yearâs draft, so Drury might seek a first-rounder next year instead.
The NHL-ready player could be someone like forward Liam Greentree, the key part of the return New York received in the Artemi Panarin trade with the Los Angeles Kings in early February. The 20-year-old was the Kingsâ first-round pick (No. 26) in the 2024 draft, top prospect in their system, and turns pro next season.
Liam Greentree â photo courtesy OHL Images
But with the Rangers holding a reasonably priced blue chip in a center-poor market, expect Drury to look for more than he got for Panarin, whose no-trade clause limited the GMâs options. Trocheck has a 10-team no-trade clause for 2026-27 â but appears ready to move on, and even more so in the offseason than once the season is underway.
The Minnesota Wild, who were linked to Trocheck in trade talks before the deadline, are one possibility. Theyâre one loss from being eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round of the playoffs and need help down the middle. One issue could be that the Wild donât have a first- or second-round pick this year, and no second-rounder in 2027 and 2028. But they do have some intriguing young talent on their NHL roster and in the pipeline.
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Anze Kopitarâs retirement leaves the Los Angeles Kings with a glaring hole at center that Trocheck could fill while also being reunited with former linemate Panarin. The Kings have their first-round picks through 2029 and extra second-rounders this year and in 2028; they have a couple of good prospects on defense but not much up front â as well as an older roster. However, Trocheck said before the deadline that he wants to stay on the East Coast for family reasons.
Trocheck could help teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Utah Mammoth and Seattle Kraken, young teams that need a solid veteran center with leadership skills to help them get back to the playoffs (Chicago, Seattle) or take the next step (Utah). Each has the requisitel return Drury is likely to want.
One thingâs for certain: With Coyle re-signed and no one near Trocheckâs caliber on the free agent market, the Rangers can expect plenty of phone calls from rival teams this offseason, thatâs if Druryâs cell hasnât been ringing plenty already.
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