Mark Madden: Penguins missed opportunity to sign Rangers catalyst Vincent Trocheck

If Pittsburgh Penguins fans want reminded of a franchise-altering mistake made by management, just turn on the NHL’s Eastern Conference Final.

Forecheck, backcheck, Trocheck.

The Penguins had a chance to sign center Vincent Trocheck as a free agent in 2022. The Penguins chose nostalgia instead, re-upping Evgeni Malkin.

The Penguins didn’t move forward.

I get it. Fenway Sports Group had owned the Penguins for less than a year and didn’t want to anger fans by ditching old favorites.

Things worked out great for Trocheck. He didn’t get to come home — he’s from Upper St. Clair — but the Rangers are a much better team than the Penguins. They might win the Stanley Cup. If they do, Trocheck could win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. He’s fourth in postseason scoring with eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points in 14 games. He’s been the Rangers’ primary catalyst.

By the way, I didn’t want the Penguins to get Trocheck because he’s local. I wanted the Penguins to get Trocheck because he’s a great hockey player. Better than Malkin.

At 30, he’s seven years younger than Malkin.

During the regular season, he had 77 points to Malkin’s 67.

Trocheck is superior defensively. He’s better on draws. He makes fewer mistakes.

Trocheck is a wizard on the power play, perhaps the best in the NHL at playing the bumper spot. Malkin rotates into oblivion on the power play.

The Penguins would be a better team with Trocheck instead of Malkin.

Instead, they are handcuffed by sentiment, by the unbreakable bond of eternal brotherhood.

The franchise is wasting president of hockey ops/GM Kyle Dubas. He can’t hire his own coach. He can’t tinker with the core. All Dubas can do is work around the fringes.

This is all spilled milk. What’s done is done and won’t be undone.

The purpose of this column is mostly to point out how well Trocheck is playing. He’s carrying the Rangers, keeping them afloat at a time when several of their top players have disappeared, not least Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad.

When you watch the conference finals, it’s difficult to imagine the Penguins competing at that level. They’re not fast. They’re not heavy. They don’t have that extra gear. The Penguins have nothing to hang their hat on besides Sidney Crosby.

Signing Trocheck instead of Malkin wouldn’t have changed that.

But it would have been moving forward. Perhaps it would have been the first domino.

The Penguins played to 97.4% capacity at home this season. Fenway Sports Group is not displeased by that. Nostalgia sells.

I’m not sure what sports fans want.

You’re mad because the Penguins missed the playoffs. But had the Penguins addressed what led to that and will likely perpetuate it, you’d be angry about that, too.

As long as you have gambling, fantasy league, tailgating and your favorite player’s jersey to wear, that seems to be enough.