The Carolina Hurricanes, like many of the Stanley Cup contenders that fell short this season, have some tough decisions to make in the summer. Four roster forwards and two defensemen will be unrestricted free agents, including second-line center Vincent Trocheck. The veteran pivot is coming off a six-year, $28.5MM deal that he signed with the Florida Panthers and is likely looking at a raise from the $4.75MM cap hit he has carried since 2016.
When asked today about whether he’d like to stay in Carolina, Trocheck told reporters including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer that the team has “some unfinished business” and that he would welcome a return to the Hurricanes. The two sides apparently did have some conversations about a new contract during the season but no decision was reached.
Trocheck, 28, arrived in Carolina at the 2020 trade deadline and has been a nice counterpoint to Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal, giving the team three centers that are all capable of filling various roles. All three average substantial penalty killing time, while Trocheck and Aho are both leaders on the powerplay. Combined, they give the Hurricanes a strong advantage in the faceoff circle and lengthen the lineup considerably. Trocheck’s 96 points in 135 games has been strong production, and he added another ten in 14 playoff appearances this year.
Still, there are some real critiques about the play of the former Panther as well, and the idea of bringing him back on a long-term deal may have some Hurricanes fans squirming in their seats. While Staal’s contract is set to expire after next season, the team is about to have several younger players–including Aho himself–that need new deals. Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, and Brett Pesce are all scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2024, while Seth Jarvis will also need a new contract that summer as he comes off his entry-level deal.
The fact that Nino Niederreiter (and maybe Ian Cole) also needs a new contract this summer could also have an effect on the Trocheck negotiation, as there will only be so much money to go around. If the team feels as though they want to take another crack at it with the entire group, bringing everyone back will be an expensive proposition.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
This is the center the bruins need on the second line.
He’s a better player than Coyle, and a year younger, but Boston wouldn’t be able to afford him anyway unless Bergeron retires … and replacing Bergeron with Trocheck is not in any way, shape or form a good deal.
You also got to figure that Trocheck is going to be overpaid. Someone’s going to offer him six years at a $6+ million AAV. I’d just as soon that the Bruins weren’t the suckers.
Canes need to re-sign him to a 5-6 yr deal at $6.2M . Get a scoring winger. Trade Necas + + for Fiala or Bertuzzi or a little less for Boeser, or sign one of Reily Smith, Palat, Rakell…. or even trade Necas for DeBrusk +
You’re really amazingly confident that other teams are going to turn over proven scorers for Martin-F’n-Necas. Why is that?
This Is a really good team, It’s a shame Andersen was hurt during the playoffs, To try an keep the team together I’d let Cole go and buyout Staal, Those moves should help free up money, Its a young man’s game.
Staal is playing fantastic hockey and only has one year remaining. His next contract will be shorter term at less money. He stays here.
Trocheck is interesting because the fans LOVE him. He’s a good guy and a good player, but not sure he’s worth over $5 million per season.
Resign him soon so I can stop listening to bandwagon yinzers talk about him (51 points in 82 games) being an upgrade over Malkin (42 points in 41 games) because they can’t read the play on the ice but can read a birth certificate.
Yeah, I am tired of Wings fan saying “sign Trocheck”. He is good and versatile, but the FA money and term he will get is not a good deal for the Wings.
No kidding. I prefer younger players myself, but a Malkin or a Bergeron or a Pavelski who’s still performing at an elite level? Those are guys you want on your team. No team ever won a game by having the lower average age; they win games by scoring goals and preventing the other team from scoring goals.
Johnny Z- As a wings fan, I agree with you overall. But he’d be a huge upgrade over what the Wings currently have, and they don’t really have a surefire center coming up anytime soon in the system.
How many games before the Canes realize that the deal they gave Andrei Svechnikov was a huge mistake?
30 goal scorers don’t grow on trees…
You’ve expressed such sentiments on more than one thread, and I’m left wondering. Did Svechnikov shortsheet your bed? Whack your spouse on the backside? I mean sure, they overpaid him, and I’m a bitter opponent of handing out eight-year contracts to ANYbody in the salary cap era, but c’mon. He’s a young man and a quality scorer, and it’s not an *absurd* contract. What is it that you think you’re seeing here the rest of us aren’t?