Tro-Check All The Boxes

On the day that the Rangers agreed to terms with Vincent Trocheck on a seven-year contract, Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury was asked about why Trocheck was the team's target in free agency.
Drury simply stated that, "he checks a lot of different boxes."
As Trocheck prepares to enter his first Training Camp and season with the Blueshirts, here is a statistical breakdown of the different areas where Trocheck can help the Rangers during the 2022-23 season and beyond.

A Player for All Situations
Throughout Trocheck's career, his team has relied on him to make an impact on both the power play and on the penalty kill. Last season, Trocheck averaged 2:53 of power play ice time per game and 1:46 of shorthanded ice time per game. On a per game basis, Trocheck was on the ice for 63.9% of Carolina's total power play time and 30.2% of Carolina's total shorthanded time.
"Anybody wants to be involved in all aspects of the game as much as possible," Trocheck said. "I pride myself on playing in all situations."
Trocheck was one of only 13 NHL forwards who averaged at least 2:45 of power play ice time and at least 1:45 of shorthanded ice time per game in 2021-22. Trocheck was not only trusted to play those minutes, he also thrived in them. On the power play, he ranked fourth on the team in power play goals (six), and he was on the ice for 36 of the Hurricanes' 51 power play goals during the season (70.6%).
Trocheck was one of the best players in the NHL on the penalty kill last season. He was on the ice for an average of 2.93 power play goals against per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time in 2021-22 (seven power play goals against in 143:08 of ice time on the penalty kill); among the 231 NHL players who logged at least 100:00 of shorthanded ice time in 2021-22, Trocheck's 2.93 power play goals against per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time ratio was the third-best in the league.
In addition, among the 274 NHL players who logged at least 200:00 of shorthanded ice time over the last three seasons (2019-20 - 2021-22), Trocheck's 3.75 power play goals against per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time ratio was the best in the league.
Faceoffs
Trocheck has established himself as one of the NHL's best players in the faceoff circle. It is an area in which he takes an enormous amount of pride.
"I've played center my whole life, so I've been taking faceoffs my whole life," Trocheck said. "I think faceoff technique is something you develop over time and you learn as you go. Faceoffs have changed over the years; players have become more strategic and have used new moves to win faceoffs. I've been trying to adapt to what's new and learn on my own. It's just a matter of having a good strategy going into the faceoff and knowing your opponent."
Trocheck has won 52.1% of faceoffs he has taken in his NHL career, including 54.6% of faceoffs he took last season. He has also won at least 50.0% of faceoffs he has taken in each of the last six seasons. One area where Trocheck has particularly excelled is defensive zone faceoffs, allowing his team to gain possession of the puck and get out of their own zone.
Trocheck took more defensive zone faceoffs than any other player on the Hurricanes last season (514), and won 56.0% of those draws. Only 17 NHL players took at least 500 defensive zone faceoffs in 2021-22, and of those 17 players, Trocheck's 56.0% faceoff win percentage was tied with St. Louis' Ryan O'Reilly for the fourth-best. In addition, Trocheck has won at least 54.0% of defensive zone faceoffs he has taken in each of the last five seasons.
Trocheck's success on faceoffs on the penalty kill also played a major role in his success while shorthanded. Among 51 NHL players who took at least 100 faceoffs on the penalty kill last season, Trocheck's 52.6% faceoff win percentage in those situations was the fifth-best.
"When it comes to the penalty kill, it helps to have someone out there who can take faceoffs," Trocheck said. "If you start with the puck on the penalty kill, it usually helps kill some time."
Offense
Trocheck has consistently produced offensively throughout his NHL career, and last year was no exception, as he tallied 51 points (21 goals, 30 assists) in 81 regular season games and 10 points - including a team-best six goals - in 14 playoff contests. He has averaged at least 0.61 points per game in each of the last seven seasons (which averages out to at least 50 points over a full 82-game season), and he established career-highs in goals (31), assists (44), and points (75) with the Florida Panthers during the 2017-18 season.
Over his two full seasons with the Hurricanes, the forwards who Trocheck played with the most were Martin Necas, Andrei Svechnikov, and Nino Niederreiter. With the Rangers, Trocheck could have the opportunity to play alongside left wing Artemi Panarin. On the day he signed with the Rangers, Trocheck discussed how the possibility of playing with Panarin made the Rangers an attractive option for him.
"The chance to play with (Panarin) is something that everyone would dream of," Trocheck said. "He's obviously a special talent … Having a chance to play with a guy like that is something I've never really had in my career, so it would be something to really look forward to."
Physicality
Trocheck's physical game will fit right in with a Rangers team that ranked fifth in the NHL in hits last season with 2,094. He registered 185 hits in 2021-22, establishing a career-high, and it marked the seventh consecutive season that he was credited with 100 or more hits.
Trocheck's combination of offensive production and physicality was rare in the NHL last season, as he was one of only four players in the league who registered 50 or more points as well as 180 or more hits.
"I don't go out of my way to be physical, but it seems like I'm always trying to get involved physically," Trocheck said. "I feel like that helps me get involved in the game, and that's been my style my whole life."
Driving Possession and Defensive Prowess
As his career has progressed, Trocheck has become more efficient at generating offense and limiting offensive opportunities for his opponent. Trocheck had a shot attempts percentage of 55.1% at 5-on-5 last season (meaning that the Hurricanes had 55.1% of all shot attempts taken by them and their opponent when Trocheck was on the ice), which was a career-high. He has posted a 50.0% shot attempts percentage or better at 5-on-5 in eight of his nine NHL seasons.
In addition to helping the Hurricanes have the majority of shot attempts while he was on the ice, Trocheck's defensive play helped limit the quantity and quality of chances the opposition had, and in turn helped out his goaltenders. Trocheck had an on-ice save percentage of .940 at 5-on-5 during his two full seasons with the Hurricanes (meaning that Carolina's goaltenders posted a .940 SV% when Trocheck was on the ice at 5-on-5). Among the 12 players who skated in at least 100 games with the Hurricanes over the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, Trocheck's on-ice save percentage at 5-on-5 was the best.
Trocheck's defensive play is highlighted by his ability to take the puck away from his opponent. He has recorded at least 50 takeaways in five of the last six seasons, and he ranks 20th in the NHL in takeaways since the start of the 2016-17 season (301).
Familiarity with Gallant
Joining the Rangers means that Trocheck will be reunited with Gerard Gallant, who coached him for parts of three seasons with the Panthers (2014-15 - 2016-17).
"(My history with Gallant) had a lot to do with (me signing with the Rangers)," Trocheck said on the day he joined the team. "I spent some time with Turk in Florida and got to know him really well, and I had a good really relationship with him. He's one of my favorite coaches that I've ever had. Having him in New York was also another huge draw for me to come here."
With all of the boxes checked, Trocheck could not be more excited to get on the ice with his new teammates.
"I'm just excited to play for the Rangers," Trocheck said. "We are a really good, young team, and that's the main reason I wanted to sign here."