Vincent Trocheck’s move to the Utah Mammoth, which brought Sean Durzi and prospects Cole Beaudoin and a 2027 third-round pick to the Rangers, was facilitated by a change in his no-trade clause. This shift, from a 12-team no-trade list last year to a 10-team list for the upcoming season, opened the door for the trade.
Trocheck stated that his primary motivation was joining a team with a genuine chance to win, citing his lack of a championship in a long league career. "It was just going to a team that I think can win was the most important thing for me," Trocheck said Friday during his first media availability in Utah. "Been in the league a long time, and I haven’t won anything, you know, so that’s what’s most important to me."
Despite a career season with the Rangers in 2024, where he recorded 25 goals and 77 points and made his second All-Star Game, the team missed the playoffs in the subsequent two years. An upper-body injury early in the 2025-26 campaign also placed Trocheck on long-term injured reserve. As the trade deadline approached, and with the Rangers beginning a retool, Trocheck, a significant trade asset, became a likely candidate to be moved.
Earlier in the season, Trocheck had expressed concerns about moving to West Coast teams due to his family's East Coast presence. "Yeah, it’s not a secret," Trocheck said in early March. "They are on my no-trade clause. Family is important to me and my family is on the East Coast."
However, the Mammoth's emerging core and their potential swayed his decision. In their second season, the expansion franchise reached the postseason tournament. Trocheck highlighted players like Clayton Keller, who led the team with 88 points, and Logan Cooley, whom Trocheck has known since Cooley was 12. The two have skated together in the summer and often discussed the possibility of playing together.
"Obviously a lot of potential and been taking a lot of strides in the last few years," Trocheck said of the Mammoth. "Very good, young team, and I think for me, one of the biggest things is just going to a team that has a chance to win."
Keller and Cooley provided Trocheck with key insights into the organization. The addition of veteran forwards Anders Lee and Trocheck, aged 32 and 36 respectively, further strengthened the Mammoth's roster around their younger talent. General Manager Bill Armstrong reiterated the team's goal, stating, "It’s to compete for and ultimately win a Stanley Cup, and I feel with these two players beside me, to my left, that we’re one step closer to doing that. I love where they fit in on our team."
Trocheck also confirmed his willingness to play on the wing, adding to his versatility for the Mammoth. He made it clear that the prospect of competing for a championship was the deciding factor in waiving his no-trade clause for Utah.