By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter/X @18Jxxx18
Whenever a National Hockey League Trade Deadline is finished, there are always thoughts from people on which trades should have happened. Some thought the Boston Bruins would trade for a right-handed defenseman or a top center to upgrade their team, but it didn’t happen. However, a new Bleacher Report article wished a trade had happened between the Bruins and New York Rangers, but it’s a big no from the Bruins’ perspective in retrospect.
Yesterday, Bleacher Report’s Joe Yerdon wrote an article titled “6 Trades That Should Have Happened at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline.” One of the trades that Yerdon wrote that should’ve happened was the Rangers trading Vincent Trocheck to the Bruins. Yerdon mentioned how the Bruins were linked to Trocheck on the day of the deadline, but Trocheck remained in New York.
“The Bruins really needed to improve up the middle, and adding Trocheck would’ve been a huge move to improve their chances of making the playoffs,” Yerdon said. “The Bruins aren’t loaded with young talent, and they’re still in an awkward position where giving up first-round picks isn’t really in their best interests for the future. That was a bad combo to get a deal done with Rangers GM Chris Drury.”
Many thought the Rangers would sell more at the trade deadline after trading away Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings, and being at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. However, the Rangers kept most of their roster. Trocheck was a big trade target who many thought would be traded, but he wasn’t. While Yerdon may have thought that Trocheck being traded to Boston should have happened, there’s plenty wrong with it from the Bruins ‘ standpoint.
Trocheck has had a solid career by making two All-Star Games, and has been a solid Ranger since the 2022-23 season. However, Trocheck has seen a drop in his game in New York since last season. Trocheck went from recording 77 points in the 2023-24 season to recording 59 points last season. This season, Trocheck has recorded 43 points, but has missed 15 games.
Trocheck will turn 33 years old in July. Trocheck will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2028-29 season with a salary of $5.625 million per year. That contract length and salary alone for Trocheck’s age may be too high for the Bruins to take on, and his game declining can draw concern.
“When you look at Boston’s center depth at the moment with Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, Fraser Minten, and Sean Kuraly, there’s an obvious spot there for a player of Trocheck’s talent,” Yerdon said. “There’s no doubt they’d be better with him. High prices are tough to overcome, though.”
Sure, the Bruins’ center depth may not be the best. However, Yerdon was right in mentioning high prices. The Rangers’ price for Trocheck may have been too high for Bruins general manager Don Sweeney to pay. A first-round pick may have been at least needed for the Bruins to acquire Trocheck, which may have been too high for Sweeney to give up.
Even with the lack of center depth this season, the Bruins have seen potential at the position. Zacha’s 45 points are the fourth-most on the Bruins roster, and Lindholm’s 40 points are the fifth-most. As a rookie, Minten’s 29 points are the eighth-most on the Bruins roster, and his +17 rating is tied for second on the roster as well. Kuraly has struggled this season with recording 17 points, but has seen fair stretches.
Trocheck also mentioned how if he were to be traded, he wanted to be traded to a team that can win a Stanley Cup, given his age. Realistically, even if the team had traded for Trocheck, the Bruins aren’t one move away from being in the Stanley Cup conversation with their current roster and position. The Bruins are the second Wild Card seed in the Eastern Conference with 78 points, but have had inconsistency, and the team’s road struggles are a major issue.
A potential idea for the Bruins if they want Trocheck is to trade for him in the offseason. The Bruins need to make the playoffs first, and then they can start targeting players to go after in a trade. Making the 2026 playoffs would help Boston be a destination for players. With 18 games remaining in a competitive Eastern Conference this season, every game matters for the Bruins.
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