As electrifying the 4 Nations Face-Off was, it’s time to look ahead. The NHL is set to return after an international break that will be remembered for a long time to come, and the teams are already squaring up. Sitting in the 5th position of the Metropolitan Division, The New York Rangers still haven’t given up on playoff hopes, and Coach Laviolette isn’t too keen on entertaining speculation ahead of the game against the Sabres tomorrow at the KeyBank Center.

Vincent Trocheck, the Rangers’ star forward, has been in impressive form in the 2024-25 season despite his status as a veteran Team USA player. With 17 goals to his name, Trocheck once again proved himself to be invaluable for the New York team and even went on to lend his skills to the national squad at the 4 Nations. But news about a finger injury sustained at last Monday’s USA vs. Sweden game worried fans.

On February 21, the New York Rangers HC was heard talking about Trocheck’s condition and the possibility of making his NHL return tomorrow in a YouTube upload by the official account of the team. When an interviewer asked if Laviolette had any thoughts about Vincent’s finger injury impacting his availability, the coach simply didn’t want to get into it, not in detail at least.

“I don’t comment on any of that. As far as Vincent goes, he hasn’t missed any game, so we have nothing to report,” said the seasoned coach flatly, who undoubtedly isn’t new to overcoming injury scares. On Friday, The Athletic reported that Trocheck had broken a finger during the USA’s 2-1 loss to the Swedes in the skirmish earlier this week. Vincent was also absent from the New York Rangers team practice on Friday, which further bolstered speculations that Trocheck’s injury might be severe.

However, according to sources it seems like the 31-year-old could join hands with teammate J.T. Miller when the Rangers resume their NHL campaign. The Rangers currently sit three points behind the Red Wings for the final wild-card spot in the Metropolitan Division. With 27 games remaining, the Rangers also need Trocheck to be at his best, however, considering the scenes that panned out in the USA’s last two matches at the 4 Nations Face-Off this week, it’s not too surprising that the fans are worried about his condition at the moment.

New York Rangers hope to find their attacking prowess intact after the 4 Nations

In the later seconds of the first period during Monday’s game, Trocheck seemed to hurt his finger. He went down the tunnel after the final shift of the first period but appeared again for the second period, and went on to record a play time of 10:48. The Rangers center also played for 10:03 during the bout against Canada on Thursday at the 4 Nations finale at the TD Garden. In the championship game, Vincent attempted one shot on goal, helped block one by the Canadians, and was also called out for a tripping penalty. He later told the New York Post that he “was alright.” However, his performance wasn’t close to what his national teammates were able to dish out at the tournament.

The New York forward finished the international hockey tournament with no points and a minus-1 rating after playing four matches and averaged 11:11 of playtime on the ice. The number is significantly lower than his 21:19 average play time in the NHL this season. In the final game against the neighbors, Trocheck took four draws on the face-off circle and lost all of them, which is also a poor reflector of his true prowess (Vincent has won 642 of his 1,060 face-offs in the NHL).

Laviolette’s team has won three of the last five games and is looking at three back-to-back games on the road. With the trade deadline fast approaching, it now remains to be seen how the Rangers star copes with the pressure of getting back to full swing. But will his 4 Nations setback cause a dent in his regular season momentum? What do you think? Tell us!