Rangers Trading Vincent Trocheck to Kings Could Make Sense

The NHL offseason is in full swing, and massive trades are already being made. The Ottawa Senators just traded their captain, Brady Tkachuk, to the Florida Panthers, and more moves are expected to happen. One player on the New York Rangers who is expected to get traded is Vincent Trocheck, and this move could happen very soon. One team that has emerged as a possible landing spot is the Los Angeles Kings, and in this piece, we will go over why a trade between the Rangers and Kings makes sense.

Trocheck Could Be Open to Being Traded to Western Teams

When Trocheck’s name was floating around at the trade deadline, it was said that his preference was to stay on the East Coast. Teams like the Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins were all teams that had interest in this player, but he was not moved. One team he was connected to the most was a Western Conference team in the Minnesota Wild, and it seemed like a deal would get done, but it did not happen. Now, with more teams being open for business as compared to the trade deadline, this means there are more options for the Rangers and Trocheck as to where he could want to go.

Trocheck recently switched agents and is now represented by Pat Brisson. The trade protection in his contract also drops from a 12-team no-trade list to a 10-team no-trade list on July 1, so this means there will be fewer Western Conference teams on the no-trade list. One of those teams he could be more interested in going to if he has to move out West is the Kings. The Kings didn’t have the best season, but with a new head coach (former Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette) and a former Ranger on the team (Artemi Panarin), Trocheck could see them as a good fit.

Connection With Panarin & Laviolette

The Kings have been busy trying to improve their team over the past few months. It started when they traded for Panarin from the Rangers after he decided the Kings were the only team he wanted to go to. He signed a two-year extension with them and was one of their more productive players in their first-round loss to the Colorado Avalanche. They were also in need of a new head coach, and after interviewing multiple candidates, they decided that Laviolette was their guy. This is important when it comes to Trocheck, as he had one of his best seasons playing under Laviolette and next to Panarin when they were both still with the Rangers.

In 2023-24, the Rangers had one of their best seasons in franchise history. They won the Presidents’ Trophy as the best team in the regular season and made it to Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final before losing to the Florida Panthers. They were coached by Laviolette that season, and he had Trocheck and Panarin playing on the same line, and they put up some of the best numbers of their careers. Trocheck scored 25 goals and recorded 77 points, while Panarin scored 49 goals and recorded 120 points. If Trocheck wants to reunite with a player and coach who helped him have such a productive season, a trade to the Kings makes total sense.

What Could a Trade Look Like?

If Trocheck does end up getting traded to the Kings, what could a potential package look like? The Kings already traded their best prospect, Liam Greentree, to the Rangers in the Panarin trade, and with the Rangers looking to be better next season, it seems they would want NHL-ready talent back in any deal. One player who could be of interest to them is Alex Laferriere, who is a 24-year old center and makes $4.1 million for the next two seasons. He scored 21 goals and recorded 44 points in 82 games this season, while putting up four points in four playoff games. If the Rangers wanted to target anyone off the Kings roster, he would be the player who would help them the most.

Besides Laferriere, they don’t have many other players on their NHL roster who would have any impact on the Rangers next season. A player like Alex Turcotte could be interesting, but he has dealt with injuries and has yet to find his game at the NHL level. Could a package of Laferriere, the Kings’ 2026 first and one of their two 2026 second-round picks be enough to get Trocheck? Would that be worth it to the Rangers, or could they find a better package from another team that gives them more NHL-ready talent?

The Rangers are in no position to mess up this potential Trocheck trade. He is their most valuable asset, and they must do whatever it takes to get back as much as possible in any deal. The Kings could make sense for Trocheck, with his connections to Panarin and Laviolette, but does it make sense for the Rangers? It will be interesting to see where this goes over the next few days and into next week as July 1 rolls around, but keep an eye out for the Kings as a potential landing spot for Trocheck.