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With the NHL Trade Deadline looming the following day, the New York Rangers host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday

Rangers vs. Maple Leafs: Lineups, storylines day before NHL Trade Deadline — Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

With the NHL Trade Deadline looming the following day, the New York Rangers host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday with an air of uncertainty hanging over the proceedings at Madison Square Garden.

In the midst of a terribly disappointing season, the Rangers (23-29-8) are sellers ahead of the trade deadline. The Rangers already traded Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings in early February, and Carson Soucy to the Islanders back in January.

Each was a pending unrestricted free agent at the time, and their departures were the first steps in the organizational retool. Now general manager Chris Drury must decide if players with term on their contract and no, or limited, trade protection, like veteran center Vincent Trocheck, are best served as chips to acquire young NHL players, key prospects on the verge of turning pro, and/or draft capital.

Though Trocheck appears unflappable in navigating the days leading up to the deadline, Rangers coach Mike Sullivan acknowledged it’s a stressful time for the team.

“We aren’t unique to this, I think this is just part of the business,” Sullivan explained Wednesday after practice. “Leading up to trade deadlines, there’s always uncertainty on teams. It’s across the League, it’s not just our team. Obviously, there’s more noise in some cities than others.”

Sullivan likely was referring to New York. But he could’ve been thinking about Toronto, as well. Like the Rangers, the Maple Leafs (27-24-11) are a massive disappointment this season, and look to be sellers for the first time in years.

If the noise is 10 in New York on a scale of 1-10, then it’s 11 in Toronto, where the daily outrage and unrest from the media and fan base is unrivaled.

The Maple Leafs lost five in a row (0-3-2) since the Olympic break, and sat out defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and forwards Bobby McCann and Scott Laughton in their 4-3 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, likely for roster management purposes.

The Rangers very well could do the same with Trocheck on Thursday. When asked about that at the morning skate, Sullivan said “Right now, everybody is a game-time decision.”

3 storylines when Rangers host Maple Leafs

NHL: Columbus Blue Jackets at New York Rangers — Brad Penner-Imagn Images

1. Something to build on

The Rangers come off a 5-4 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, and are 1-0-2 in three games since the Olympic break. In the most recent contest, they erased a 4-0 deficit in the third period, and rallied to tie the game, before losing in OT.

Gabe Perreault led the spirited comeback with an NHL career-high three points (two goals, one assist), and contributions came from up and down the lineup, after a subpar first 40 minutes of play.

“I think if anything it provides evidence that we’re never out of it, that if we keep fighting that we have the ability to come back from deficits,” Sullivan said. “And there’s evidence to suggest that now. It’s not just coach-speak, it’s real.”

2. Moving parts

NHL: Minnesota Wild at New York Rangers — Brad Penner-Imagn Images

J.T. Miller is out for the Rangers, placed on IR with an upper-body injury Tuesday. That alone creates a musical chairs scenario for the Rangers lineup. Then you factor in that Trocheck may not play for roster management reasons, and, yeah, there are plenty of moving parts.

Sullivan moved Taylor Raddysh into Miller’s spot in the top six at practice Wednesday. And Perreault may land a spot on the top power-play unit now, too.

The Rangers activated Adam Edstrom from LTIR, so he should play on the fourth line against the Maple Leafs. Edstrom missed 33 games with a lower-body injury, and replaces Brendan Brisson, who was reassigned to Hartford of the American Hockey League.

Juuso Parssinen was recalled and skated on the fourth line at practice Wednesday. And if Trocheck doesn’t play, Jonny Brodzinski could slot in at center.

There is one constant, though. Igor Shesterkin makes his fourth straight start in goal for the Rangers

3. Pregame trade

One trade was finalized Thursday before puck drop at The Garden. Though made by the Maple Leafs, it still could affect the Rangers.

The Maple Leafs traded center Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche for a conditional first-round pick (top-10 protected) in the 2027 NHL Draft and a conditional fifth-rounder this year. That’s not a bad return for a player having a down year statistically (20 points; five goals, 15 assists; 14:45 TOI) and one who’s simply not as good as Trocheck. The 29-year-old is three years younger than Trocheck (32), and is under contract for one more season past this one at $3 million. The key thing to note from his resume is that Roy helped the Vegas Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023.

So, this takes another center off the market, and the decent return for a player not as good as Trocheck, might embolden Drury to ask for an even higher return than expected should the Rangers move Trocheck.