Rangers have a master plan for trading Vincent Trocheck

The New York Rangers didn't trade Vincent Trocheck before the NHL trading deadline earlier in March.

The Minnesota Wild in particular were believed to be after him, but that didn't end up coming to fruition.

This doesn't mean Trocheck is staying put for the long haul, though. The Rangers may simply feel they'll have better value to be found in the summer.

That's the premise posed by Elliotte Friedman in the Sportsnet insider's latest 32 Thoughts column.

"With the cap going up and the free-agent class shrinking, teams believe term will become even more valuable for trade targets," Friedman wrote on Thursday. "That’s one of the reasons the Rangers didn’t move Vincent Trocheck. Maybe someone wouldn’t pay the price this month, but how about this summer? That’s their bet."

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Trocheck can be a valuable center for a contender, which is part of the reason it likely annoyed at least a few clubs that the Rangers stood firm at the trade deadline.

Capable of doing plenty of good things at both ends of the ice, the U.S. gold medalist Trocheck would be a quality addition for any title-chasing team.

The Rangers, though, knew they weren't rushed. They knew that with Trocheck still having length on his contract, he didn't need to be dealt right away.

When no one met New York's price, it was time for them to close up shop and look toward the summer.

The Rangers will likely shop Trocheck again, and this time, his price may be matched.

He can still be a big-time acquisition down the road. There's just no impacting this playoff run for Trocheck.

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