The Chicago Blackhawks appeared to be a team on the rise well into the third month of the 2025-26 season. Young phenom Connor Bedard was showing off his eye-catching speed and his wicked wrist shot and the Blackhawks appeared to be a team on the rise. However, when Bedard went down with a shoulder injury in mid-December during the last moments of a game against the St. Louis Blues, the Blackhawks' fortunes changed dramatically.
Bedard missed the next 12 games after the December 12 injury, and the Blackhawks lost their mojo. They lost 7 of their next 8 games and fell badly in the Central Division of the Western Conference. After a brief surge, the Blackhawks went on another losing skein, going 2-6-2 as they prepare to host the San Jose Sharks.
The Blackhawks are now in seventh place in the Central Division, and they are 22 points out of third place in the division. Their 21-25-9 record has them 9 points out of a Western Conference wild card slot. The Blackhawks are going to miss the playoffs once again this season.
Blackhawks need to add veterans
The problem is not a lack of talent — especially youthful talent. In addition to Bedard, the Blackhawks also have center Frank Nazar, defenseman Artyom Levshunov, center Ryan Greene and center Oliver Moore. These youngsters all have the tools to become winning players in the future. They may not be ready to dominate yet, but the maturation process should allow the Blackhawks to become a contending team in the Western Conference in future seasons.
The Blackhawks don't need to add draft picks or young prospects. They need established NHL veterans who can help them become a consistent winning team. The New York Rangers are looking to “retool” by trading some veteran players, and the Blackhawks should come calling.
They need to make a deal with the Rangers for Vincent Trocheck. The Rangers center may want to go to an established team that has a legitimate Stanley Cup opportunity, but he could change his mind when he understands than an Original 6 team has long-term plans for him.
The 32-year-old Trocheck is in his 4th season with the Rangers and his 13th season in the NHL. In addition to playing seven seasons with the Florida Panthers he also played 3 years with the Carolina Hurricanes. Trocheck has scored 12 goals and 24 assists with the struggling Rangers this season and he also has a minus-15 rating.
However, he had four consecutive seasons scoring between 21 and 26 goals, and he also had a a career-best 77 points with the Rangers in the 2023-24 season. Trocheck has also scored as many as 31 goals earlier in his career with the Panthers.
Stats are solid, but those numbers are not the only reasons to pursue Trocheck
More than the numbers, Trocheck is a smart veteran who knows how to position himself and get an edge on his opponents when the game is on the line. He is also one of the best face-off men in the league. He has won 56.0 percent or more of his faceoffs in 5 of the last 6 seasons, and the only time he failed to reach that mark, he won 54.6 percent of his draws.
Trocheck is under contract with the Rangers through the 2028-29 season. He is earning $5.625 million this year and his rate will remain at that level through the remaining 3 seasons that he has on his deal.
That means the teams that trade for Trocheck will not be getting a “rental” player nor will they have to sign him to a new deal. They will have to give up significant assets to get him.
In the case of the Blackhawks, they have young prospects and they have draft choices, so they should be an attractive trade partner for the Rangers.
Trocheck has a 12-team no-trade list attached to his contract and the Blackhawks could be on the list. However, that aspect could be mitigated if they are willing to give him a bonus or a raise to accept such a trade.
A veteran center like Trocheck with established credentials could fit on the first or second line with the Blackhawks.
Bedard centers the top line on the Blackhawks with Nazar on the left side and Tyler Bertuzzi on the right side. The Blackhawks may want to keep that line intact.
However, if the Blackhawks acquire Trocheck, head coach Jeff Blashill may want to make him the center on the No. 2 line. If he was in that position, he would have veteran Teuvo Teravainen on his left side and Andre Burakovsky on his right. That would give the Blackhawks two dangerous lines — assuming Bedard was healthy and in good form — and that would make Chicago very difficult to play against.
The Blackhawks should go after Trocheck, even if they have to give up a young prospect or two to acquire him.
