The Rangers currently have five defensemen under the age of 28 on their roster and two more top prospects on the way, so it’s very likely New York will be looking to add some offensive firepower with its first-round pick, No. 15 overall in the NHL Draft.

Between now and June 24th, we’ll take a look at some of the forwards that the Rangers might be thinking about taking on draft day.  Today, we look at…

Vincent Trocheck

HT: 5-10

WT: 184

Pos: C

Shoots: R

Birthday: 7/11/93

Team: Saginaw, OHL

2009-2010 stats: 15g, 28a, 68gp, 56PIM, +5

2010-2011 stats: 26g, 36a, 68gp, 60PIM, +14

2010-2011 playoffs: 6g, 5a, 12gp, 4PIM

NHL.com profile > 

Ranks:

The Hockey News: 43

CSS: 41 Midterm Rank: 42

ISS: N/A

TSN: 59 Midterm Rank: 60 

TSN (Craig Button): N/A 

The Scouting Report: 73 Midterm Rank: NR 

Bruins 2011 Draft Watch: NR 

Corey Pronman: 63 

ESPN: N/A

Highlight Reel > 

What They’re Saying:

THN – “A teammate of fellow draft prospect Brandon Saad in youth hockey in Pittsburgh and with Saginaw, Vincent Trocheck has impressed scouts with his durability despite the fact he’s not a big player.  Trocheck has not missed a game in his two OHL seasons.  ‘He has been their most consistent player,’ a scout said.  ‘He has a good stick, a good shot and he plays on the power play and kills penalties.  For a ’93-born guy, he’s a key guy for them.’  Scouts like his competitiveness and opportunistic touch around the net.  Like fellow prospect Alexander Khokhlachev, he’s a small, skilled center who is a better playmaker than scorer.  Unlike Khokhlachev, he’s sometimes easy to knock off the puck.  ‘He has been their No. 1 or No. 2 center all year and I thought he had a great year,’ another scot said.  ‘The knock is his size, but he has a really good hockey IQ and he competes really hard.  You can play him in all situations and he’s not going to hurt you.’”

The Scouting Report – “Trocheck was one of the top players with the Saginaw Spirit this past season and does a lot of things well, but lacks a defining quality to his game. A little undersized, Trocheck isn’t blazing fast and doesn’t quite have the talent to consistently be an offensive threat; also being guilty of taking some shifts and games off. When he’s on, Trocheck is a player that has some decent upside as he has a pretty nifty snap shot and isn’t afraid to use it. He also will take his game to the front of the net and some of the areas that teammate Brandon Saad tends to avoid. If Trocheck were a little bigger or more dynamic, he could make a case to be in the Top 60, but in this draft, he’s better suited to be seleccted somewhere around the 3rd or 4th round.”

Bruins 2011 Draft Watch –“Gritty, tenacious Pennsylvania center doesn't have ideal size or speed, but his quick stick, accurate shot and hockey sense all combine to make him an interesting if polarizing prospect among scouts who seem to constantly revise their opinions on him. He finished the season with 26 goals and 62 points in 66 games with the Spirit, which was a bit disappointing given his start and what expectations were for him. Even without the big numbers, he's a hustling, high-energy player who gives his all. It's hard to count guys like that out.”

Corey Pronman – “Vincent Trocheck is a prospect without a standout tool, but he has a lot of decent attributes combined with a solid work ethic that could make him a somewhat projectable prospect. He's a fringe-average to average skater whose top speed doesn't hit pro level, but is solid on his edges and has a decent first step. Trocheck is solid on the puck with quick hands that let him handle the puck well along the wall and in tight. He comes off the wall well on the power play and displays notable distribution skills. His physical game is fringe, but that's due to his frame more so than how he battles, as he has very good intangibles evident in how hard he forechecks and battles in the physical areas. Trocheck's hockey sense is solid, which when combined with his hand-eye coordination make him an effective defensive player. He also makes good decisions with the puck and his playmaking skills are driven more so by his vision and patience than creation skills.”

NHL.com – “’Vince has a lot of grit in his game,’ Central Scouting's Chris Edwards told NHL.com. ‘He's willing to battle and come out with the puck. Very good passing ability. Vince is smart, he gets himself into good shooting position on the power play and gets off one-timers. He plays a steady, two-way game and plays with good energy.’” 

Mock Drafts:

Adam Kimelman, NHL.com – N/A 

Mike Morreale, NHL.com – N/A 

Steven Hoffner, NHL.com – N/A 

Deven Persaud, NHL.com – N/A 

TSN.ca – N/A 

Gary Joyce, ESPN – N/A 

Mark Seidel, CBC – N/A 

Hockey's Future - N/A

The Hockey News - N/A

Thoughts: Trocheck is another small guy that seems to do a lot of things well, but may not necessarily be a standout in any one area.  He does have some offensive talent, but he’s probably in the next tier after Alexander Khokhlachev.  If the Rangers still had their second round pick, Trocheck might be a viable option, but in the first round he’d be a huge reach.

The Rangers took Michael Del Zotto out of the OHL in 2008 and frequently draft prospects from the league.

Season Review:

Breaking Down The Defense >

Breaking Down The Goalies >

Breaking Down The Offense >

Breaking Down The Prospects >

How Three Free Agent Signings In 2007 Have Shaped The Eastern Conference >

Spotlight On Glen Sather >

Spotlight On John Tortorella >

Rangers Land Tim Erixon: What Does It Mean?

More Erixon Trade Fallout >

Player Reviews:

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Spotlight On Brian Boyle >

Spotlight On Matt Gilroy >

Spotlight On Ruslan Fedotenko >

Spotlight On Brandon Prust >

Spotlight On Bryan McCabe >

Spotlight On Alex Frolov >

Spotlight On Michael Del Zotto >

Spotlight On Martin Biron >

Spotlight On Brandon Dubinsky >

Spotlight On Marc Staal >

Spotlight On Steve Eminger >

Spotlight On Henrik Lundqvist >

Spotlight On Wojtek Wolski >

Spotlight On Sean Avery >

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Spotlight On Artem Anisimov >

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Draft Profiles:

Zack Phillips >

Sven Bartschi >

Mark Scheifele >

Mika Zibanejad > 

Mark McNeill >

Brandon Saad >

Joel Armia >

Nicklas Jensen >

Alexander Khokhlachev >

Tyler Biggs >

Matt Puempel >

Rickard Rakell >

Mario Lucia >

Tomas Jurco >

Dmitri Jaskin >

Phillip Danault >

Rocco Grimaldi >

Ty Rattie >

Daniel Catenacci >

Vladislav Namestnikov >

Nick Shore >

Stefan Noesen >

Boone Jenner >

Matthew Nieto >

Vincent Trocheck >