New York sports fans are currently consumed by the Knicks, who are on the verge of delivering the city’s first championship among the four major North American sports leagues in nearly 15 years. Meanwhile, their Madison Square Garden roommates — the New York Rangers — are stealthily preparing for a pivotal offseason.The upcoming 2026 NHL Draft, which will be held on June 26-27 in Buffalo, will be a major focus for a team in desperate need of young talent, but there are other pressing tasks on Rangers president Chris Drury’s agenda, as well. At the top of that list: determining what comes next for Vincent Trocheck.Drury attempted to trade the veteran center prior to the March 6 deadline but balked when no team met his high asking price. He strategically gambled that he’ll have a better chance of getting what he wants this summer — namely, a package headlined by a young player who’s ready to contribute right away and projects as a long-term core piece. Picks and/or prospects are also expected to be part of the deal.The Rangers are still conveying that they won’t part with Trocheck unless someone meets those demands. But the expectation among multiple league sources is that a trade remains a high likelihood. Dragging this into next season, when Trocheck will be 33 and increasingly at risk of decline, represents too great a risk for an organization that lacks leverageable assets in its quest to acquire “tenacity, skill (and) speed.”Many of the teams believed to have interest are the same as The Athletic reported in March, but others have emerged as potential suitors in recent weeks. The Montreal Canadiens are not one of them, according to a league source, who noted there has been no contact between the two clubs about Trocheck.Trocheck’s 12-team no-trade list will shift to 10 on July 1, potentially adding two others to the mix, but the Pittsburgh native has publicly stated his desire to remain near the East Coast. That makes it unlikely for teams such as the Los Angeles Kings and Utah Mammoth — both of whom checked in on Trocheck during the 2025-26 season — to enter the bidding, though it’s worth noting that L.A. now has one of Trocheck’s favorite teammates (Artemi Panarin) and former coaches (Peter Laviolette).Another potential hiccup is the pending trade request of Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin. He’s three years younger than Trocheck and has leapfrogged the New York veteran on the wish list of many center-needy teams. That could delay the process, with interested GMs opting to wait for clarity on Larkin before presenting their best offers for Trocheck. Still, given the underwhelming free-agent class, teams’ thirst for help down the middle, and Trocheck’s alluring contract value in a rising cap world (three years remaining at a modest $5.625 million per season), Drury should have opportunities to net a significant return.In an effort to examine what that might look like, I tapped seven colleagues who cover possible Trocheck suitors to assess where their teams may stand in the bidding and come up with realistic trade proposals. I then responded with my thoughts on how the package would match up with what the Rangers are seeking.Let’s dive in.Boston BruinsTrade proposal: C Matt Poitras, 2026 first-round pick (No. 23) and 2028 first-round pick (later of two picks owned by Boston and Florida)Beat writer analysis: The Bruins are hunting for a No. 1 center. Trocheck does not exactly qualify, but he would give the Bruins another option to operate the middle by committee. Trocheck’s contract has value on the market, so the Bruins would have to send multiple assets to the Rangers. — Fluto ShinzawaMercogliano response: We know New York is aiming higher for the centerpiece in any Trocheck trade — after playing 33 games with the Bruins in each of 2023-24 and 2024-25, the 22-year-old Poitras has since struggled to stick in the NHL and even experienced a drop-off in AHL production this season — but two first-round picks make this proposal hard to say no to. Boston is uniquely positioned to surrender draft capital, holding five first-rounders over the next three years, and was the only team to offer multiple firsts in this exercise.Accepting a deal that’s so heavy on futures would suggest the Rangers are shifting to more of a rebuilding mindset, which seems unlikely given how they’ve framed their retool intentions to this point. But this trade would give them six first-round picks in the next three drafts and offer a chance to replenish their prospect pool and/or use those assets for future trades. That feels like a sound strategy.Buffalo SabresTrade proposal: RW Jack Quinn, 2026 first-round pick (No. 27) and RHD Vsevolod KomarovBeat writer analysis: If the Sabres lose Alex Tuch in free agency, Trocheck could help replace Tuch’s leadership and special teams contributions. He’s also a strong faceoff guy, and the Sabres ranked last in the NHL in faceoff percentage this season. His cap hit is reasonable for the next few years, too. He’s probably not a No. 1 center, but he could help Buffalo. As with any trade, it only makes sense at the right cost.The Sabres could put their first-round pick in play and also have some young NHLers who might be of interest to the Rangers, including Quinn and Peyton Krebs. A prospect like University of Minnesota winger Brodie Ziemer would make some sense, too. I could see the Rangers having some interest in Bowen Byram if the Sabres make him available in a trade, but that might require New York adding another asset. — Matthew FairburnMercogliano response: This feels like a worthwhile deal that would check multiple boxes for New York. Quinn is a top-10 pick (No. 8 in 2020) who’s shown signs of coming into his own. The 24-year-old posted career highs in goals (20) and points (51) last season while grading out as a well-above-average skater (90th percentile in speed bursts between 20-22 mph, per NHL Edge). He’s being crowded out of the top six for an on-the-rise Buffalo team, but could give the Rangers the scoring right wing they need while satisfying their requirement for a young player with upside.