New report reveals what changed everything in the Rangers' Vincent Trocheck trade talks
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Peter Baugh says the Rangers' steep asking price for Trocheck pushed Minnesota and other suitors away before the deadline.
Months after the trade deadline came and went without a Vincent Trocheck deal, a clearer picture is emerging of exactly why Minnesota walked away from the table.
Athletic reporter Peter Baugh addressed the situation on the Athletic Hockey Show, explaining that the Rangers set the bar extremely high on Trocheck and it ended up costing them potential trade partners.
According to Baugh, that lofty ask is what scared off multiple teams around the league, and the Wild specifically faded as a suitor once they got a sense of just how much New York wanted in return.
Peter Baugh: Re Vincent Trocheck: "The Rangers had a really high ask at the deadline...scared some teams away; the Wild...kind of faded as a suitor because of how high the ask was."
NHLRR: "Part of the issue, some have speculated, was that New York was asking for NHL talent back, which was tough for teams to stomach in-season."
NHLRR: "Part of the issue, some have speculated, was that New York was asking for NHL talent back, which was tough for teams to stomach in-season."
Rangers wanted NHL ready pieces back
Part of what made the asking price so tough to stomach, according to some league speculation, was that the Rangers were reportedly seeking established NHL talent in any deal rather than settling for picks and prospects.
That is a hard sell in the middle of a season, when teams are far more reluctant to hand over roster players who are already contributing on a nightly basis.
It is one thing to give up future assets for a rental or a veteran center. It is another to gut your active lineup to get a deal done in February.
That dynamic is exactly what stalled things with Minnesota, who reportedly liked Trocheck as a fit but could not justify meeting New York's terms while trying to stay competitive down the stretch.
The saga eventually found its ending
Trocheck of course did not move at the deadline, and the drama carried into the offseason before New York finally found a trade partner in Utah.
Looking back now, it is easy to see how the Rangers' unwillingness to soften their ask kept so many teams at arm's length for as long as it did.
It also explains why a deal that seemed so obvious on paper took months longer than anyone expected to actually happen.
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