NEW YORK — NHL trade deadline week is here, but the market has been slow-moving so far. That’s not ideal for the New York Rangers, who are presumably receiving interest in several players after president and general manager Chris Drury’s “retool” letter in January.
Yet when a big trade happens, it can spark movement around the league, and contending teams can get desperate, still having holes as the deadline approaches. The Rangers have to hope something like that happens this week.
Rangers center Vincent Trocheck remains at the top of Chris Johnston’s trade board, and Minnesota-based colleagues Michael Russo and Joe Smith reported that Wild general manager Bill Guerin has made his “one and final” offer for Trocheck. That obviously hasn’t yet led to a deal, as Drury presumably shops around for a better package. In the interim, Trocheck remains in the Rangers lineup. He had an assist Monday in a 5-4 overtime loss to Columbus after discussing the possibility of a move earlier in the day.
The Rangers could hold onto Trocheck, who is under contract until after the 2028-29 season, and reassess in the summer, but that comes with risk. Though teams get desperate at the trade deadline, they might be more cautious over the summer when it’s not their last chance to bolster a playoff roster.
Trocheck is the biggest name the Rangers have available. Braden Schneider and Alexis Lafrenière remain trade possibilities, too, but Drury should feel no pressure to move them unless he gets a compelling offer. The pair is only 24 years old and has team control. Schneider is a restricted free agent after this season, and Lafrenière is in the first year of a seven-year deal with a $7.45 million average annual value.
The bottom-six forward group could get shaken up in the coming days, especially after the Rangers claimed former Seattle Kraken winger Tye Kartye off waivers. New York has a bit of a logjam on its third and fourth lines, especially after adding Kartye and activating Conor Sheary off long-term injured reserve. Brennan Othmann and Brett Berard have gotten sporadic NHL looks this season but are now down in AHL Hartford, and Jonny Brodzinski has been a healthy scratch in three games since the Olympic break. Adam Edström has been out since November, but he looks close to returning. He’s been completing full practices while still on injured reserve.
Othmann’s name has been in trade talks throughout the season, and the Rangers could finally make a move this deadline. He is in his final year of waiver exemption.
The 32-year-old Brodzinski is another trade possibility in the coming days. Coach Mike Sullivan hasn’t played him consistently, and he’s in the final year of his deal. A contender could add him as a 13th or 14th forward. He’s appeared in playoff games before (one in 2022 and three in 2024) and has some offensive ability, having scored 12 goals in 51 games in 2024-25. He has only four goals in 39 games this season.
Whether the Rangers trade Brodzinski will likely depend on the market, as plenty of non-playoff teams have depth forwards on expiring contracts. If New York wants to move him, Drury could throw him into a bigger deal and try to snag an extra pick. That’s what he did with Jimmy Vesey last deadline, sending him to Colorado in the Ryan Lindgren trade.
Sam Carrick could also have value for a team looking at depth centers. The 34-year-old is a fourth-line center who has 10 points in 60 games this season and is unafraid to play physically and fight. He was on the Oilers team that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, then signed a three-year deal with the Rangers worth a $1 million AAV.
That contract goes through 2026-27, so a potential acquiring team would have him for another season after this one.
“I signed here hoping to finish my contract here,” Carrick told The Athletic in January. “Having a family and stuff makes things a little bit more difficult if change is coming. But if it does, you deal with it.”
None of the Rangers’ bottom-six players would bring much in return — Carrick could perhaps fetch a mid-round pick — but would open opportunities for other forwards. Sullivan could get a deeper look at some of the organization’s younger players and see who fits.
J.T. Miller to injured reserve
The Rangers placed forward J.T. Miller on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. The captain, who won gold with Team USA at the Olympics, played 19:23 against Columbus on Monday and had an assist.
The Rangers did not say what led to Miller’s injury, but he was hit in the head with a puck in the third period after falling to the ice during a netfront battle. He finished the game and spoke to reporters after it ended.
Miller has dealt with injuries throughout the season, starting with a lower-body injury during training camp. He didn’t miss any time to start the season, but suffered an upper-body injury that kept him out two games in November and then seven in December and January. The 32-year-old has 38 points in 51 games this season for his worst scoring rate since 2018-19. He’s had a difficult first full season as a Rangers captain due to injuries, lack of individual production and team struggles.
