It’s hardly a secret that the Boston Bruins will be looking to improve their depth down the middle this summer. The club could use another top-six center, particularly to play with 100-point scorer David Pastrnak.
So, one of the most immediate targets could be New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck. But landing the former first-round pick may be easier said than done.
A recent mock trade in The Athletic looked at what the Bruins could realistically offer the Rangers for Trocheck. On paper, the offer looks decent. But in reality, the trade might not have much of a chance.
Here’s a look at what the Bruins would be giving up for Trocheck:
- Matthew Potras, C
- 2026 first-round pick
- 2028 first-round pick.
So, a couple of things to unpack here. First, the Bruins would be giving up two first-rounders. However, the 2026 first-rounder would be the 23rd-overall pick. While not bad, a mid-round first-rounder doesn’t have nearly as much value as, say, a top-10 pick.
Second, the 2028 first-rounder would be one of the Florida Panthers or the Bruins’ own pick. The pick, at least according to the mock trade, would be the latter of the two picks.
Bruins insider Fluto Shinzawa believes this deal would be sort of a fallback option for Boston, considering that Trocheck isn’t exactly a number-one center.
This is one heck of an offer for a guy that’s kind of a plan B.
However, Rangers insider Vincent Mercogliano shot down this trade for a couple of reasons. The biggest one is Poitras. The Rangers would be looking for a prospect with a much higher ceiling than Poitras.
There’s always the chance that Poitras finds his ceiling and becomes a top-six center. That’s certainly the risk the Bruins would run by trading him now. But that’s a bit of a gamble on the Rangers’ part.
As for the two first-rounders, they’re not bad. But they’re futures. And moving Trocheck for a bunch of futures would signal that the Rangers are actually rebuilding instead of retooling. So, that might not be the message that New York GM Chris Drury might want to send.
Ultimately, this trade idea doesn’t really have much of a chance of actually happening. From the Bruins’ perspective, coughing up two first-rounders for Trocheck is a steep price, especially since Trocheck isn’t really what the club has in mind.
From the Rangers’ side of the equation, the deal might not live up to expectations. So, New York could just pass on the deal and look for anyone who might be willing to pay up with a better prospect or offer more pieces.
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