Big Opening Day of Free Agency for Rangers

The answer to the question of who will occupy the second line center position for the Rangers next season has finally been solved. Vincent Trocheck has joined the New York Rangers on a 7-year deal with an AAV of $5.625M. Trocheck played last season with the Carolina Hurricanes, potting 21 goals to go along with 30 assists for 51 points. His best season came in 2017-18 with the Panthers where he had 31 goals, 44 assists and 75 points. Trocheck has a respectable career faceoff percentage of 52.1. Overall, Trocheck is a solid two-way player who is persistent on the forecheck and Chris Drury and the Rangers' front office viewed him as an important piece to add to the roster and feel he is representative of the club's identity and fits what upper management envisions.

He has previously played under head coach Gerard Gallant in Florida from 2014 until 2016. In his introductory interview with Rangers' media, Trocheck spoke on his relationship with Gallant and how much of an impact that had on him signing with New York. "He's one of my favorite coaches I've ever had, so having him in New York was another huge draw for me to come here," Trocheck said. While the lineup card has not been finalized in the slightest, as it is still too early in the offseason, it is hard to imagine Gallant using Trocheck anywhere other than the second line due to his preference for veterans and experience. Having Trocheck in the top six should not mean that Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko will be bumped down. In other words, the kids will be getting the playing time they deserve next season.

In addition to Trocheck, the Rangers signed Jaroslav Halak and Louis Domingue as backup goalies. Ryan Carpenter was signed as a depth forward on the second day of free agency. The Rangers also traded Patrik Nemeth to the Arizona Coyotes to offload his $2.5M cap hit for the next two years. A 2025 second round pick and another conditional pick needed to be attached, with the Rangers receiving prospect, Ty Emberson. The move should give the Rangers enough cap space to re-sign Kaapo Kakko, which means that it would be difficult to also re-sign Tyler Motte, according to Drury.

Once Kakko is re-signed, this should be the roster heading into camp in September, although there will be spots up for grabs in the bottom six for prospects such as Brennan Othmann, Will Cuylle, and Gustav Rydahl, among others. There will also be some competition for the final spots on the blueline now that Nemeth and Justin Braun are gone. Nils Lundkvist, Zac Jones, and Matthew Robertson will all be competing for the 6th and 7th defenseman spots. With the majority of the roster in place, it will be interesting to see how this group will perform this season after making a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Even more interesting is how Drury will manage the cap situation next offseason when Lafrenière and K'Andre Miller will be due for contract extensions.

Trocheck thumbnail: Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images

Trocheck second picture: NHL

Joey DiMeglio - Ice Cold Takes/ Olde City Sports Network