An emerging offseason storyline for the Toronto Maple Leafs is the possibility of a Vincent Trocheck Trade. The Leafs, among several other teams, could be in the running to land the 32-year-old forward.
While Trocheck would certainly be a decent addition to the Leafs, it’s a deal that the organization should avoid. In particular, the cost to bring in the former third-round pick from the 2011 NHL Draft makes this move questionable.
From chatter around the NHL trade deadline, the price tag the New York Rangers set for Trocheck was astronomical. The conversation started with a first-round pick and a high-end prospect.
Teams like the Minnesota Wild and LA Kings made a strong push for the veteran center, but could not stomach the asking price.
So, would that situation somehow change for the Maple Leafs? Not likely. A Trocheck trade would entail a prohibitive price tag for the organization.
Let’s start with the first-round pick. The Leafs have the first overall pick in this year’s draft. However, it’s unlikely Toronto would be willing to part with it in a Trocheck trade.
What about the club’s 2027 first-rounder, the one that belongs to the Colorado Avalanche? That might work, except for the fact that it would project to be late in the first round, essentially making it a second-rounder.
Then, there’s the matter of a high-end prospect. Who could the Maple Leafs be willing to give up? Easton Cowan? Moving Cowan for Trocheck would defeat the purpose of making the trade. Beyond Cowan, there really isn’t another prospect that would stand out as a potential piece to dangle in front of Chris Drury.
Trocheck Trade Could Come Down to Bidding War
One of the things the Rangers are hoping for is that a bidding war would ensue amid negotiations in a Trocheck trade. Ideally for the Blueshirts, teams would be willing to outdo one another in hopes of landing the coveted center.
If that’s the case, other, more desperate clubs could price the Leafs out of the situation. Toronto, unfortunately, just doesn’t have the draft capital to entice the Rangers to pick them ahead of other clubs.
Even if the Maple Leafs tried their best to win a Trocheck trade, the overall cost could be so high that the move just wouldn’t make sense.
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Could Rangers Eventually Sell Low on Trocheck?
There’s always the possibility that the Rangers could be willing to sell low on Trocheck. Like the situation with Artemi Panarin, a Trocheck trade may come down to the veteran’s no-trade clause getting in the way.
If Trocheck, for example, really wanted to go to Toronto, he could twist the Rangers’ arm to send him there. Such a situation would essentially zap any leverage New York may have in negotiations.
That situation depends, naturally, on Trocheck really wanting to leave the Blueshirts to go elsewhere. But there’s really no indication of that. That’s why a Trocheck trade may not really happen this offseason.
If it does eventually happen, it could happen at next year’s NHL trade deadline. Perhaps the Maple Leafs may have a little more capital then to pull off a Trocheck trade.
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