One player that was rumored to be traded at the 2026 National Hockey League Trade Deadline was New York Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck. One possible destination that arrived on deadline day was the Boston Bruins. However, Trocheck stayed put in New York and wasn’t traded. Even with the trade deadline done, more Trocheck trade predictions to Boston have been made.
Earlier today, Bleacher Report’s Joe Yerdon wrote an article titled “7 Vincent Trocheck Offseason Trade Landing Spots.” The first team that Yerdon named for a trade landing spot for Trocheck was the Bruins. Bleacher Report’s Sara Civian recently wrote that Trocheck being traded to the Bruins should have happened at the trade deadline. Now, it’s Yerdon’s turn to name the Bruins as a destination for Trocheck.
“The Bruins were hunting for help at the trade deadline for the playoffs, and although things were quiet, the offseason shouldn’t be,” Yerdon said. “Elliotte Friedman mentioned on the 32 Thoughts podcast that the Bruins were trying to get Trocheck, and Kevin DuPont of the Boston Globe confirmed the B’s were in on the Rangers’ center.”
After not acquiring Trocheck at the trade deadline, Yerdon said the Bruins’ chase for him should “renew.” Not trading for Trocheck at the trade deadline may have been better for the Bruins this season, given the team’s current position in the Eastern Conference standings. However, trading for Trocheck in the offseason may sound like a better approach for the Bruins.
The Bruins need to finish out the regular season and make the playoffs after missing out last season for the first time since 2016. The Bruins are the Eastern Conference’s second Wild Card seed with 78 points ahead of tonight’s game against the San Jose Sharks at TD Garden. Making the 2026 playoffs can help the Bruins be a destination for players this offseason, and Trocheck can be one.
Trocheck has been one of the few bright spots on the Rangers this season, as the team sits with the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Because of the Rangers trading Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings, Trocheck’s 43 points and 31 assists are each the second-most on the roster. For a player who has missed 15 games this season, those are respectable stats on a bad team.
Trocheck will turn 33 years old this offseason in July. After this season, Trocheck will have three years remaining on his contract at a salary of $5.625 million per year. Although his game has declined a little since the 2023-24 season, that salary is fair for the Bruins to take on. There can also be concern for the Bruins up front this offseason.
Forward Viktor Arvidsson is a free agent after this season. Pavel Zacha, Sean Kuraly, and Casey Mittelstadt are each free agents after next season. Trocheck can be a player who can stay in Boston to the end of his contract if the Bruins lose a few of those four players in the next two offseasons.
“The Bruins may lack an absolute No. 1 center, but if they can have a setup that involves a bunch of centers that can defend well and outwork opponents, that would make them even more of a pain for teams to play against,” Yerdon said.
Yerdon also mentioned how the Bruins have centermen Elias Lindholm and Zacha in place up the middle, and adding Trocheck to the group would make the team a lot more blue-collar. Adding Trocheck would give the Bruins three solid centermen who can play fairly well. Zacha and Lindholm have each seen solid stretches this season.
“It’s not as if Trocheck doesn’t have offensive abilities, but winning draws and slowing down opposing scorers is where he thrives, and that style of game is how coach Marco Sturm has helped resurrect the Bruins this season,” Yerdon said.
Trocheck can bring offensive and defensive abilities when he plays. Now, the question is what it would take for the Bruins to trade for Trocheck if they were to make a trade. An idea to help keep some value is to wait until after the 2026 NHL Draft. The Bruins have two four-round picks over the next two years (two each in 2026 and 2027). If the Rangers want a return for Trocheck, waiting after one of the drafts to keep as much first-round value as possible may be needed by the Bruins.
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