Has Vincent Trocheck solved the Rangers faceoff issues? When the Rangers signed Trocheck 7-year deal worth $39 million this offseason some Rangers fans shook their heads. Just 18 games into the season Trocheck has already showcased the impact he can have on this Rangers team. He has 13 points, 64 shots on goal, second most hits on the team, and plays 21 minutes a night, but his dominance in the faceoff circle has been the biggest impact.
In this week’s episode with @Arda we talk about the instant impact Vincent Trocheck has made on the Rangers. Last night was a perfect example, wins a faceoff gets to the front of the net & sends the game to OT.
— The Broadway Hat Podcast (@Broadwayhatpod) November 18, 2022
Listen to the episode⬇️https://t.co/f2f0aCBMks#HockeyTwitter #NYR pic.twitter.com/h28FSQo15P
Faceoff Dominance
Last night was a perfect example of how important adding a player like Trocheck to this roster was. Late in the Third period on the power play, Trocheck wins a faceoff goes to the front of the net, and scores the tying goal to send the game to overtime. Trocheck is currently winning draws at a 55.4% clip. The last time the Rangers had a player finished the season over 55% in the circle was David Desharnais, who finished the 2017-18 season at 55.1%. Trocheck’s 155 faceoff wins leads the team and is tied for 18th most in the NHL this season. On my podcast The Broadway Hat I talked with Arda Ocal, who does a great job covering the NHL with ESPN, about Trocheck’s early impact on the team this season.
On Pace For 700
Trocheck is on pace currently to win over 700 faceoffs this season. Since the NHL started keeping track of faceoff statistics, this feat has only been achieved 10 times. The last player to do so was Mika Zibanejad during the 2018-19 season, when he won 831 faceoffs, but finished below 50% that season. The last player to win 700 faceoffs and finish above 50%, is Rangers President/GM Chris Drury. That just shows how desperate the Rangers have been for a faceoff man like Trocheck.
Rangers Above 50%
The Rangers as a team are currently winning 50.5% of their faceoffs. The last time the Rangers finished a season above 50%, was 2012-13. It has been a decade! Even that season the Rangers finished at just exactly 50% during a lockout-shortened season. You can argue that the Rangers haven’t had a reliable faceoff man since Brian Boyle, but in reality, they haven’t had one since Mark Messier. For the past five seasons, Zibanejad has been their most used faceoff centerman, with a career average of 49%. Adding Trocheck who is 52% in his career and posted averages of 54.6% and 56.1% the last two seasons was a great add by Chris Drury.
Be sure to bookmark our hockey page for hockey coverage and follow Belly Up Hockey on Twitter: @BellyUpHockey. Follow me on Twitter for more takes on the New York Rangers and USA Hockey: @KHallNY. You can also listen to my NY Rangers podcast The Broadway Hat Podcast on Apple Podcast and Spotify for Rangers news and interviews with past and current players.
