Some might've thought the New York Rangers missed their opportunity.
Teams were heavily after Vincent Trocheck at the 2026 NHL trade deadline, but the Rangers held onto him. They didn't deal Trocheck until July 1 to the Utah Mammoth.
But months later, it's looking like the Rangers did just fine for themselves.
While injuries, particularly to goalie Igor Shesterkin, may short circuit the Rangers season, they got off to a fast start to the campaign.
And in Utah, it hasn't been smooth sailing so far for Trocheck.
The Rangers traded Trocheck to the Mammoth on July 1. He's signed through 2028-29 with a $5.625 million cap hit.
New York got three assets in return.
One is the defenseman Sean Durzi, who has already looked at home in the Big Apple.
Another is the 2024 first-round pick Cole Beaudoin, who is trending toward being an NHL contributor sooner rather than later.
The Mammoth also traded a 2027 third-round pick to the Rangers in the deal.
New York's roster got cheaper and younger in the process of making this trade. And waiting on the deal likely got Utah more involved than the Mammoth would've been before the trade deadline.
Durzi, a 27-year old defenseman, already has a goal and an assist in his first seven games with the Rangers.
He has averaged more than 20 minutes per game and has also blocked nine shots. Durzi is more defensively minded than anything, but that's a good thing for the Rangers to have, particularly with their goaltending situation getting tricky in a hurry.
Beaudoin is up in the NHL for the first time this season, having appeared in three games already at just 20 years old for New York.
He also has played his first three AHL games this season, putting up a goal and four assists already for Hartford.
Beaudoin hadn't played in the pros before this season. He put up 88 points in 54 games for OHL Barrie last season.
Trocheck is already a minus-4 through six games with the Mammoth.
He has scored one goal and added one assist.
Trocheck is his usual physical self, with 21 hits for Utah, but the Mammoth are using him less than he has been used since 2019-20 — Trocheck is getting just 16 minutes and 59 seconds of average ice time per game.
If those minutes remain down at that level, Utah is benefiting even less from the trade to bring Trocheck to town.
The Rangers would've still used Trocheck in a key role this season if they had him, but so far, it looks like the scales have tipped toward their side of that trade.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Rangers Look Like Early Winners in Vincent Trocheck Trade With Mammoth appeared first on HEAVY .
