Well, that’s officially it for Artemi Panarin on Broadway. Considering the underwhelming return that failed to bring back a first-round draft pick, the New York Rangers may want to prioritize getting premium draft capital back in the next seller moves ahead of the trade deadline.
Related: Predicting the New York Rangers’ Remaining Trade Deadline Moves
Overall, considering the circumstances, I actually don’t think general manager Chris Drury did as poorly as he got credit for in the Panarin trade. Don’t get me wrong, the return was disappointing, but the star forward didn’t give the Rangers much flexibility, given the no-movement clause.
But getting Liam Greentree, who was the Los Angeles Kings’ top prospect, isn’t the worst consolation prize. He has a chance to become a top-six scoring forward if the Rangers can develop him properly.
Now the question becomes, what’s next? The Rangers already got themselves a quality prospect in a deal, with the organization needing to fetch at least another couple of first-rounders in the next trades.
Trocheck Potential Trade
There will certainly be an opportunity to do that when exploring the market for Vincent Trocheck. In fact, hockey insider Frank Seravalli even went as far as to call him the “premier piece” available in the trade market on a recent episode of his show Frankly Hockey.
Given Trocheck’s near a point per game pace and favorable average annual value of $5.63 million over the next 3.5 years, the Rangers should absolutely be able to snag a haul. This isn’t the same thing as Panarin’s case, with Trocheck only having the power to block a trade to 12 teams, according to contract details on Puck Pedia. There will be a market for him.
Drury needs at least three major assets in return, and that’s certainly doable, considering Brock Nelson as a rental last year was able to fetch a first-round pick, a top prospect and a third-round pick.
You can bet that Trocheck will fetch at least a first-round pick in return and then some. However, it gets complicated for a team like the Minnesota Wild, which has just one first-round pick and no second-rounders currently in the next two drafts.
If the team winds up being the Wild, the Rangers should target their 2027 first-round pick, young NHLer Danila Yurov and prospect Charlie Stramel as the core pieces in a potential trade. But if you can get a team like the Carolina Hurricanes seriously involved, which has more draft capital, Drury may want to target two first-round picks (one in 2026 and 2027) and a top prospect.
Scenarios to Consider with Schneider
While Trocheck will likely command at least a few premium assets in return, fans should expect much less for Braden Schneider. However, I feel confident in saying that his services will attract at least one premium asset, whether that’s someone’s top prospect or a first-round pick.
For one, Schneider is unique. He’s a young defenseman in the NHL and carries multiple more years of restricted free agent control. Upside remains for the 24-year-old to grow, who would likely now make out to be a solid third-pairing defenseman on a Stanley Cup contender.
Normally, for a player of Schneider’s caliber, you may only get a second-round pick in a move just before the trade deadline. For example, see the return that Brian Dumoulin got last year for the Anaheim Ducks. However, the age and the fact that this isn’t a typical strict rental situation should drive up the price and interest from bubble playoff teams.
Could the Rangers find a way to get a fantastic prospect like Igor Chernyshov from the San Jose Sharks? If not, Drury should get a package that’s centered around a first-round pick.
Other Players That Can Fetch High and Mid Round Picks
With Schneider and Trocheck likely to bring back the Rangers multiple premium assets, the organization has other depth players to sell off to contending teams. This includes Taylor Raddysh and Sam Carrick. However, the Rangers are likely looking at second, third and mid-round picks in return if they choose to deal these players, rather than snagging a first-rounder or a top prospect.
Pending unrestricted free agents Jonny Brodzinski and Jonathan Quick are others who can potentially bring back more mid-round picks for the Rangers.
But the bottom line is this: if the prospects offered by teams in the Schneider and Trocheck trades aren’t ideal, prioritize draft pick compensation. The Rangers, of course, don’t have to use all the picks that they fetch in future trades ahead of the deadline, but don’t forget they become assets, with the organization having flexibility to flip them if the right players become available.
With Drury already acquiring Greentree and likely at least another top prospect in a Trocheck trade, the Rangers may want to consider getting picky about acquiring more prospects. If not, take as many high draft picks as you can get back.
