Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Vincent Trocheck

Poll: Who Are The Best Centers In The NHL?

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The NHL Network lit up the hockey world recently when they revealed their list of the Top 20 Centers in the league, ranking Connor McDavid as the best in the league ahead of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The number four slot was occupied by Auston Matthews, which ruffled some feathers, while the reigning Stanley Cup champions Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom were down at 13 and 14 respectively.

The Penguins (Croby, Malkin), Maple Leafs (Matthews, John Tavares), Capitals (Kuznetsov, Backstrom) and Oilers (McDavid, Draisaitl) all had two names on the list, while other potential options like Eric Staal, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Toews, Brayden Schenn, Brayden Point, Ryan O’Reilly, Sean Monahan and Dylan Larkin were all absent.

Since the NHL Network’s fan vote was so different—Jay Beagle ranked 20th on the list—we thought we’d do our own tally here at PHR. In the poll below we’ve listed many options and are asking you to vote for your top group by selecting 10 names. Does Matthews stay in the top five? Can defensive wizards like Anze Kopitar and Patrice Bergeron climb up the rankings? Does the PHR community believe in William Karlsson? Cast your vote for the top 10 centers in the league and make sure to leave a comment explaining your choices.

[Mobile users click here to vote]

*Though Claude Giroux has played center for much of his career, his absence from the NHL Network list means he was likely left off the ballot. We’ve similarly left him out of the poll, along with other part-time centers like Joe Pavelski, Blake Wheeler and Logan Couture. If you feel as though any of them should be included in this group, make sure to leave a comment down below.

Injury Notes: Marchand, Duclair, Vatrano, Klefbom, Smith, Avalanche, Seeler

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand could miss some time — not due to injury — but after another incident in which the forward collided with Chicago Blackhawks winger Anthony Duclair in Saturday’s game. You can see the video here. While on the surface it does look as if Marchand was attempting to avoid Duclair, one has to wonder how the Department of Player Safety will treat the incident after numerous incidents this season. A repeat offender, Marchand served a five-game suspension back in January for concussing New Jersey Devils forward Marcus Johansson.

Marchand was given a two-minute interference penalty on the play, but Duclair was forced to exit the game as he suffered a knee injury. The Blackhawks later announced that he will not return for the rest of the game and Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that he will miss one-to-two weeks.

  • Matthew DeFranks of the SunSentinel writes the Florida Panthers have activated forward Frank Vatrano and will make his Panthers debut Saturday night. Vatrano, who was acquired a week before the trade deadline from the Boston Bruins for a third-round pick, will attempt to find his game with the rising Panthers despite missing some time with a high ankle sprain. He is slated to appear on the team’s second line alongside Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau as the team hopes Vatrano could be a valuable addition to their core. After putting up 39 goals in 45 career AHL games, he has struggled in the NHL. With Boston, the 23-year-old had just two goals in 25 games this year and often found himself scratched.
  • Edmonton Oilers head coach Todd MacLellan said defenseman Oscar Klefbom will miss the next two games to undergo a “minor procedure.” With rumors that Klefbom was been playing injured for much of the year, the eventual question will be whether the team should shut him down in the near future.
  • Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Steve Carp writes that center Reilly Smith was sent back to Las Vegas after he sustained an upper body injury during Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is not playing today and is not expected to be ready for Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Smith is having a career year with 22 goals and 38 assists in his first year with Vegas.
  • Kyle Fredrickson of the Denver Post writes that the team intends to start Jonathan Bernier today after Bernier has missed the past 10 games with a head injury. Starter Semyon Varlamov has struggled recently having allowed 11 goals in the past three games. The scribe also writes that defenseman Erik Johnson skated Friday in a non-contact jersey. He hasn’t played in a game since Feb. 18. There is no timeline for Johnson, according to head coach Jared Bednar. Forward Vladislav Kamenev, who broke his arm in November after being acquired from Nashville, practiced Friday and is likely to be sent to the AHL for a couple of games on a conditioning stint.
  • Sarah McLellan of the StarTribune writes that defenseman Nick Seeler, who has been dealing with a right bicep strain and the flu, is improving, but did not travel with the team to Vancouver and would only join the team in Edmonton if there is an injury on defense before then.

Morning Notes: World Juniors, Thomas, Savard

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The World Juniors have come and gone, and once again scouts all across the league have started to adjust their rankings and projections. One such prognosticator, Corey Pronman of The Athletic, goes in depth on what he saw at the tournament and his main takeaways.

Pronman agrees with the rest of the writers who voted Casey Mittelstadt as tournament MVP, after the Buffalo Sabres prospect looked dangerous on every shift. Even with Buffalo struggling once again this season, there may be a light on the horizon in Mittelstadt. The eight-overall pick from 2017 has found immediate success at the University of Minnesota, and looks ready to turn pro after just one season in the NCAA. While he’s made no indication on whether he’ll be a one-and-done, the Sabres will undoubtedly make a pitch in the spring to bring him aboard.

  • Speaking of World Junior prospects, the London Knights of the OHL have traded St. Louis Blues’ prospect Robert Thomas to the Hamilton Bulldogs for a package that includes five draft picks, stretching all the way to 2026. Thomas, selected 20th-overall in 2017, didn’t have an outstanding tournament for Team Canada but is still an intriguing prospect for the Blues. His defensive ability and versatility all while being an outstanding offensive producer makes it easy to envision him transitioning to the professional ranks with success. If he doesn’t crack the Blues out of camp next season he can still return to the junior ranks, and could be a returnee at the World Juniors next year as one of Canada’s top options up front.
  • David Savard’s wallet is a little lighter this morning, after being fined $5,000 for slashing Vincent Trocheck last night. Savard wasn’t given a penalty on the play, but didn’t avoid the gaze of the Department of Player Safety. While this obviously isn’t a suspension, it will be taken into account on any further disciplinary action from the league.

Florida Panthers To Give Tippett Every Chance To Make Team

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Since taking back control of the Florida Panthers franchise in April, general manager Dale Tallon has been busy reshaping his roster this offseason after the team failed to make the playoffs this past year. He unloaded young wing Reilly Smith and his large contract to Vegas along with soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Jon Marchessault to remove future cap problems that likely would have arisen. He handed out a one-year deal to free agent scorer Radim Vrbata to make up for some of that goal scoring and brought back former Panther Evgeni Dadonov from the KHL on a reasonable three-year deal. He also re-signed penalty killing defenseman Mark Pysyk to a three-year deal. However, his focus has been on building a team around its youthful core, including Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Nick Bjugstad and defenseman Aaron Ekblad, all who are 24 years of age or under and already locked up long-term. However, the Panthers might be ready to add another name to that list.

The Panthers seem ready to give their 2017 first-rounder Owen Tippett every chance to join their young team immediately, according to NBC Sports Adam Gretz. After an impressive showing at their development camp, Tallon was quick to point out that Tippett will be given every opportunity to make the squad this year.

“He’s going to get every opportunity,” said Tallon (via the Panthers). “I don’t have any problem and [head coach Bob Boughner] and our coaching staff don’t have any issues playing young guys. We’re building a team that’s going to be around for a long time and we’ll give him every opportunity to play this year.”

Tippett, who is a pure scorer, would fill a major need as many of their top players are playmakers rather than goal producers. The 18-year-old is coming off a season in which he scored 44 goals for Mississaugua Steelheads in the OHL last year. He was ranked as the seventh-best North American skater by NHL.com.

Morning Notes: MacArthur, Jagr, Darling

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Ottawa’s Clarke MacArthur is day-to-day following an injury sustained in the second period of Game 2 versus the New York Rangers. MacArthur took a rather routine, if tough, hit from New York captain Ryan McDonagh. MacArthur appears to have gotten his hands up to absorb some of the high body check, but with MacArthur’s recent history, another concussion is always the fear. MacArthur missed the bulk of this and last season (8 games combined) to lingering concussion symptoms, and would likely have been a finalist for the Masterton had he not been on the same squad as goalie Craig Anderson. The 32 year-old left winger had dealt with quality-of-life issues and was forced to even contemplate retirement. Although coach Guy Boucher did not express major concern, Senators fans will certainly be holding their breath in hopes that nothing serious was sustained. As Boucher said, “it’s something he had last game and he aggravated today” – whatever it was, he had already played through once. It’s difficult to see a coach taking chances with concussion symptoms in this day and age, with this player – even in the playoffs. Whether he returns for Game 3 or at all this series is up in the air.

  • As expected, the Carolina Hurricanes organization will attempt to sign Scott Darling to a contract as soon as they are able. The Hurricanes took a bit of a gamble in acquiring an impending UFA for a 3rd-round draft pick. Certainly they have the inside track with regard to signing the goaltender, but there is every possibility he could choose to test the market. His phenomenal season as the backup in Chicago would certainly attract a few suitors, and by heading to July 1st, he only improves his leverage. Carolina was already in a pickle as to which goaltender they would protect. If Darling signs before June 18th, the team would expose both Cam Ward and Eddie Lack in the expansion draft, which could be quite financially beneficial. If they cannot sign him before that date, they could choose to leave Darling unprotected. It’s unlikely that Vegas would opt to choose a UFA who is seemingly holding out (considering they would have a limited negotiation period), but he might be one of the few UFAs that would be intriguing enough for them to roll the dice.
  • Jaromir Jagr’s agent is expected to meet with Florida Panthers management in hopes of negotiating a new contract. The 45 year-old future Hall of Famer has played for 8 separate franchises, but has spent his last 3 seasons in the sunshine state. Dale Tallon, newly re-instated, has nothing but praise for the tough, creative winger. This season, however, Jagr showed signs of slowing down, literally and figuratively. He posted a career low 16 goals and personally substandard 46 points. The totals were still good for 4th on the team, behind youngsters Vincent Trocheck, Aleksander Barkov, and Jonathan Marchessault. Jagr has repeatedly expressed his desire to keep playing until his body fails him, even proclaiming the goal of playing until the age of 60. Jagr will likely be able to find a fit for next season in Florida if his salary demands aren’t too excessive.

Pacific Notes: Horvat, Nieto, Thornton

at CDT | by 4 Comments

In Vancouver, a recent surge has many fans thinking playoffs once again. The team is just three points out of a wildcard spot, after winning their last four games and going 6-3-1 in their last ten. Pierre LeBrun thinks that adding a rental doesn’t make sense for the team. It’s true, that adding a veteran likely won’t improve the Canucks chances of winning a Stanley Cup, but as Vancouver attendance and revenues have fallen over the past few years it may be a mandate from ownership to try and earn some playoff income.

Ben Kuzma of The Province says that the focus from the front office remains on Bo Horvat and locking him up long term. It’s much more important to their future to get Horvat under a reasonable contract, and the longer they wait the more he’ll likely demand. Horvat is already deep into a career season and on pace to blow last year’s 16 goals and 40 points out of the water. Kuzma compares Horvat to Florida’s Vincent Trocheck, who received a six year, $28.5MM deal this summer. Trocheck was coming off a similar season to Horvat but was older and didn’t have nearly the pedigree that the former ninth-overall pick does.

As Horvat turns just 22 this April, he’s already set to take a crack at a similar deal that escalates through the years. If the Canucks want to lock him up even further into his free agent seasons, it will likely cost them upwards of $5MM.

  • David Staples of the Edmonton Journal suggests that the Edmonton Oilers should take a swing at the recently waived Matt Nieto. Staples thinks that since Jesse Puljujarvi isn’t getting regular minutes or linemates, the team should send him down to the AHL to play on their top line, and fill his spot (or that of Benoit Pouliot) with the 24-year old Nieto. Even though he only has two points this season, and 17 last, he did score 24 and 27 points in his first two seasons in the NHL. Perhaps he could find a new home in Edmonton and add to their young core.
  • LeBrun went on to talk about Joe Thornton and his upcoming free agency. Thornton will turn 38 a day after free agency opens, and is apparently looking for a three-year deal. While that seems ridiculous in a vacuum, a closer look at his numbers may lend credence to the idea. Thornton scored 82 points last season, his highest mark since 2009-10 and is on pace for another 50+ season despite an unsustainably-low shooting percentage. He remains an elite set-up man and is still among the league leaders in assists. As Darren Dreger adds on Twitter, he hasn’t heard much chatter from either side on a Thornton extension.

Nick Bjugstad Out Four Weeks With Broken Hand

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

According to George Richards of the Miami Herald, Florida Panthers centerman Nick Bjugstad has broken his hand and will be out at least four weeks. With the season beginning in less than a week, the young Panther will miss at least a few games with the injury.

Bjugstad, 24, is one of the core of young forwards the Panthers have locked up over the past two years, joining Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Huberdeau and Reilly Smith in signing at least through the 2020-21 season. These five, when joined by the likes of Aaron Ekblad, Keith Yandle and Jason Demers on the back end, will be the foundation on which the Panthers operate for the future.

After three solid seasons with Florida, Bjugstad is looking to take the next step and move from the 30-40 point two-way center to a legitimate offensive force capable of scoring 25 goals and 50 points each year. While this injury is a setback, he’ll likely only miss around 10 games and should be able to contribute after that.

The Panthers made a few cuts this morning and are now down to 26 (not including Bjugstad) in camp. The team can only take 23 with them when the season begins, meaning there are still a few tough decisions to be made.

Panthers Reach Six-Year Extension With Jonathan Huberdeau

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Florida Panthers have locked up another young forward.  The team has come to a six-year extension with Jonathan Huberdeau that will pay him $35.4MM ($5.9MM AAV). Currently under contract for one more season, Huberdeau is earning $3.25MM in 2016-17, and would be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent next summer. Jonathan Huberdeau

The 23-year old was once the third overall pick by Florida in the 2011 draft, and has done nothing but score in his short NHL career. In 272 career games, the former Saint John Sea Dog has 172 points, including a career-high 59 last season. Skating mostly alongside Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr, the trio formed one of the more dominant lines in the Eastern conference last season, combining for 184 points.

Florida has quickly locked up much of their future this summer, signing extensions with Reilly Smith (Five years, $25MM), Vincent Trocheck (Six years, $28.5MM) and Aaron Ekblad (Eight years, $60MM) while signing free agents Keith Yandle (Seven years, $44.45MM), Jason Demers (Five years, $22.5MM) and James Reimer (Five years, $17MM) to long-term deals.

With it, the team has created cap certainty in a world where that’s very valuable from year to year, and has built a core that is easily a playoff contender every season. With no one cracking $8MM per season (Ekblad comes the closest at $7.5MM) they’ve also ensured that they won’t have too much money tied up in a single player or pair like many of the other cup contenders around the league.

Bob McKenzie of TSN was first to report the sides were close, and Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reported it was done.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. 

Sean Monahan Withdraws From World Cup; Vincent Trocheck To Replace

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Another player has fallen to the injury bug and has to withdraw from the World Cup.  Sean Monahan has suffered a back strain in training and will be unable to play in the upcoming tournament, according to the team twitter. Monahan is expected to have recovered in time to participate in the team training camp, and should be ready for the start of the season. Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports that Vincent Trocheck will be his replacement on Team North America.

“It’s definitely disappointing”, said Monahan in the release, also noting that because the tournament is in Toronto, about a thirty-minute drive from his hometown of Brampton, he was looking forward to playing for friends and family that don’t get to see him very often.

Monahan though, is just too important to the Flames to risk any further injury at what is from their perspective a meaningless tournament.  He put up another 60+ point season last year and is still just 21-years old.  Just signed to a whopping seven year, $44.625MM extension, Monahan is the present and future of the Flames organization alongside still-unsigned Johnny Gaudreau.

East Notes: Hall, Trocheck, Radulov, Gibson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

New Jersey left winger Taylor Hall met with local media for the first time since being acquired from the Oilers in June for blueliner Adam Larsson.  NHL.com’s Cristina Ledra had a chance to sit down for a one-on-one with the 24 year old.  Despite there being speculation dating back several years that one of Edmonton’s top young forwards would need to be moved, Hall didn’t expect it would be him that would get dealt away:

“There were definitely rumors, but you don’t actually think it’ll happen.  You get attached to a team and to a city, and I’m sure the same thing will happen here, I’ll have the same connection to this team in a matter of months, but it was just shocking to hear those words and to be traded, but once you get over that and once you start looking at the team and the city and the situation, you get pretty excited, and that’s where I’m at now.”

Hall is expected to be the centerpiece of New Jersey’s attack in 2016-17 after putting up a 26 goal and 65 point campaign with the Oilers last season.  He will likely form a line with junior teammate Adam Henrique and Kyle Palmieri to start next year, a trio that each had at least 50 points in 2015-16.

More from the East:

  • Panthers center Vincent Trocheck has accepted an invite to be an alternate forward for Team North America at next month’s World Cup of Hockey, reports Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel. The North American squad is comprised of Canadian and American players aged 23 and under.  Trocheck will only be able to play if one of the current members of the team gets injured before the beginning of the tournament.
  • Canadiens right winger Alexander Radulov sat down with Alexey Shevchenko of Sport-Express to discuss his offseason (link in Russian).  Among the highlights, courtesy of Igor Eronko of Sport-Express (all Twitter links), Radulov turned down more money to stay with CSKA Moscow of the KHL to take an NHL contract.  He also noted that Detroit and Florida were other realistic options he considered while he also spoke with the Devils.  Radulov was seeking a long-term deal but teams weren’t willing to take a risk on that at this time.
  • The Islanders announced the re-signing of goaltender Christopher Gibson to a one year, two-way contract. Financial terms were not disclosed.  Gibson made his NHL debut last year, getting into four games with the Isles, posting a 1-1-1 record with a 3.40 GAA and a .882 SV%.  He also played in 42 games with their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, going 19-11-6 with a 2.70 GAA, a .909 SV%, and two shutouts.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top