When you look at the New York Rangers this season, there is no doubt that Artemi Panarin has been the team’s best player.
He currently (As of Monday, January 22nd) leads the team in goals, assists, and points. You would think that with all of those things, he would be going to the upcoming NHL All-Star Game in Toronto.
That will not be the case as Panarin, 32, announced a few weeks ago that he cannot go because his wife is expecting a baby soon. Because Panarin cannot go, the league selected Rangers’ goaltender Igor Shesterkin to go in his place, which is a bit wild considering that Shesterkin, 28, has not had a great season by any means.
It was announced on Monday, January 22nd, that Shesterkin will not be the only Ranger traveling to Toronto for the All-Star festivities. Joining him will be forward Vincent Trocheck.
Trocheck, 30, was selected to the event along with Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor to replace injured All-Stars Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights and Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks. This will be Trocheck’s second All-Star game as he last played in it back in 2017.
Trocheck more than deserved this acknowledgment from the league. For starters, he has been one of his team’s most consistent players this season.
Trocheck is currently tied for second on the team in scoring with 44 points on 15 goals and 29 assists in 46 games. He is the player that drives his line, which consists of him, Panarin, and Alexis Lafreniere.
He has also been a key contributor to the team’s power play, which is currently second in the league. He currently has 17 points with the man advantage on nine goals and eight assists.
Besides producing, Trocheck hustles every night, plays a 200 ft game, forecheck, and does a great job of bringing the puck up the ice to help set up Panarin and Lafreniere. He is also not afraid to throw his body around as he currently has 61 hits this season.
Of course, you cannot talk about Trocheck and not mention how great he is at winning faceoffs. He is currently the best in the league in that category as he has won 62 percent of the draws he has taken so far this season.
Trocheck has done it all for the Blueshirts this season. As such, it is nice to see him get rewarded and get the chance to go play with the league’s best in Toronto.
