Rangers Face Pressure as Beaudoin Aims to Validate Trocheck Trade
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Acquired as the primary piece in the Vincent Trocheck deal, Cole Beaudoin faces a steep climb to crack the New York roster.
The New York Rangers are navigating a precarious depth chart at center, particularly after trading away three first-round picks this offseason, as Sports Illustrated first reported.
Central to this concern is Cole Beaudoin, the primary return for the Rangers in their trade with the Utah Mammoth that sent Vincent Trocheck to Utah. While Beaudoin was a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and is viewed as the organization's No. 3 prospect by The Athletic's Peter Baugh and Vincent Z. Mercogliano, he was notably absent from the NHL prospect tiers recently released by The Athletic's Scott Wheeler. Beaudoin was one of 28 players considered for the 5C tier but ultimately failed to make the top 145 rankings.
Despite the omission, Beaudoin comes with a strong pedigree, having recorded 33 goals and 55 assists for 88 points in 54 games with the OHL's Barrie Colts last season. Sports Illustrated reports that while Beaudoin believes he is NHL-ready and will attend training camp to compete for a bottom-six role, he faces a significant hurdle in unseating free-agent signing Joe Veleno, who is slated as the team's No. 4 center.
With veteran centers Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller both 33 years old, the Rangers are seeking a difference-maker down the middle. While Beaudoin is projected as a future NHL regular, Sports Illustrated notes that he must evolve into a middle-six option to make the Trocheck trade a success for the franchise.