As of this writing, the 2026 Trade Deadline is less than 24 hours away, and the New York Rangers have been too quiet. When the Rangers sent out a letter in mid-January signalling a retool, it was thought they would make many moves. However, the only two trades general manager Chris Drury has made have been sending Carson Soucy to the New York Islanders and Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings. With how much selling teams are getting for their players, Drury can’t afford to stay quiet as the deadline approaches.
Vincent Trocheck Is the Best Center on the Market
Since the Rangers sent out the letter, it was assumed that Vincent Trocheck was going to be on the move due to not having full trade protection in his contract. This immediately made him the best center available on the trade market. Any team looking to bring him in won’t be getting him as just a rental but rather for for potential playoff runs as he still has three more years remaining on his contract after this season. The price for him was going to be high, and so far, Drury has yet to accept a trade from any of the inquiring teams.
Trocheck has been linked to the Minnesota Wild for a while, but as of now, it does not seem they have met the price Drury has asked for. He also does not have to trade Trocheck now since he is not a rental, but will his value be this high again in the summer when he turns 33 years old? He just won Olympic gold and is still one of the more productive players on a bad Rangers team. If Drury can’t find a trade for him before the deadline, it should be seen as a failure.
Bottom Six Players Getting Massive Returns in Trades
One of the more shocking things to come out of this week is just how much selling teams are getting for their third and fourth-line players. The Nashville Predators got a second and a third for two fourth-line players, while the Toronto Maple Leafs were able to get a first-round pick for Nicolas Roy, who was their third-line center. Some of these players were traded as rentals, while others still have a year left on their deal. The Rangers have some bottom-six players they could sell off, and Drury needs to strike while the iron is hot.
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Sam Carrick has been one of the better players on the team this season. He is a fourth-line center with another year left on his deal. If other players who play a similar role and style to him can fetch second-round picks, Drury shouldn’t have a problem finding a team pay the same price for Carrick. Other players who could be of interest to other teams include Taylor Raddysh and Connor Sheary. Both have been to the playoffs before, and Sheary has won two Stanley Cups.
Trading Braden Schneider Is a No-Brainer
Another player whose name has swirled in trade rumors is Braden Schneider. He is a 24-year-old right-handed defenseman, and any team looking to make a playoff push is going to have interest in adding to their blue line. We have already seen a few right-handed defensemen get traded, such as Tyler Myers and Mackenzie Weegar. Colton Parayko’s name is also out there, but he seems less likely to be moved now after rejecting a trade to the Buffalo Sabres. Schneider is different from them as he is younger and will be a restricted free agent after this season.
It’s clear Drury does not want to pay Schneider the money he is going to ask for on his next contract. So, with teams looking for right-handed defensemen, it seems like a no-brainer for Drury to try to move him now. While he might have a high price set for Schneider and rightfully so, if he can get back a first-round pick or a young forward who could step into the lineup now or next season, that is a deal Drury should be willing to make.
The Rangers were expected to be one of the more active teams leading up to the deadline, but they have yet to make a move at the time of this writing. Is it because Drury’s asking prices are too high, or is it because there isn’t much interest in the players he has available as he thought? Whatever the case may be, Drury can’t afford to not make any moves as the whole point of the letter was to tell the fans changes were coming.
