Vincent Trocheck
Position: Forward
Birthdate: 07/11/1993 (22)
Acquired: 3rd round selection (#64 overall) 2011 NHL Entry Draft
2014-15 Team/League: Florida Panthers (NHL) / San Antonio Rampage (AHL)
NHL Stats:
| GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | +/- |
| 50 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 24 | 9 |
Nationality: American
Size: 5’10”; 182 lbs.
Contract Status: Final year of ELC ($661,666 AAV at NHL level)
The Florida Panthers took Trocheck in the third round of the 2011 draft, after he put up 62 points with the Saginaw Spirit in his second OHL season. After leading the league in scoring by posting 50 goals and 109 points for the Spirit and Plymouth Whalers in 2012-13, Trocheck signed with the Cats and has spent the last two seasons moving back and forth between San Antonio and Sunrise, looking to establish himself as a full-time NHL regular for good.
From Hockey’s Future:
Trocheck is always among the hardest workers on the ice. He uses his vision, hockey smarts and work ethic to become an effective force up and down the ice. Trocheck was a prolific scorer during his junior career – winning an OHL scoring title – and has shown the ability to consistently create offense since the start of his pro career. He shows good quickness and agility even without a blazing top speed, and he relies on his ability to read plays to get himself into a good position.
Trocheck attended training camp with the Panthers after spending 20 games with the squad at the end of last season and has shuttled between Florida and AHL affiliate San Antonio in 2014-15. Trocheck has worked to improve his two-way game and gain the trust of first-year Panthers’ coach Gerard Gallant. Skating with the AHL’s Rampage he has been a consistent source of offense and has been a catalyst for the team’s improvement this season. Long-term Trocheck is expected to be an above average second-line forward and a fixture in the Florida lineup for years to come.
Dobber Prospects kept a tab on Trocheck throughout the season:
Trocheck was recalled by the Panthers for his second stint in the NHL where he has posted eight points in 21 games. He exhibited growth and leadership during development camp this year and has been productive for San Antonio of the AHL. The Panthers will look to him to provide a spark to the anemic offense. – Zach Hopkins (Nov. 2014)
Trocheck has made quite the impression since his recent call up in last month. He exploded for three points versus Detroit in which he received the games first star. He put up an impressive fantasy line of one goal, two assists, two shots, plus three, four hits, while taking 18 faceoffs on December 2nd. That performance has pushed his season totals up to 11 points in 14 games along with an impressive plus-8. Check out the vision by Trocheck in the video below from a game earlier this year. – Lee Rayson (Dec. 2014)
Trocheck has seamlessly transitioned back into the AHL following his demotion in late 2014. Since January 24th, he has posted seven points in seven games for the Rampage to push his season total to 13 points in 16 games. He has also been shooting the puck more, with 17 shots in those same seven games, up over 0.5 shots per game more than his season average. Trocheck currently ranks third on the team in points per game, averaging 0.81 per game. He is certainly on the cusp of regular NHL duty with the Panthers, it is more just a matter of opportunity. – Lee Rayson (Jan. 2015)
Last year, in his second professional season, Trocheck managed to get in 50 games with the Panthers after starting the year in San Antonio. He established himself as a constant on the roster in late February and finished up with 7 goals and 22 points before being sent back down to San Antonio for the AHL playoffs. Eight of those twenty-two points came in twelve November games, so the young pivot did have a little bit of trouble finding the score sheet as the season progressed, although he showed off his offensive moxie with a two-goal, one assist performance in a 6-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on April 2.
With the departure of veteran UFAs Scottie Upshall and Tomas Kopecky, as well as the summer buyout of Brad Boyes, Trocheck is pretty much a lock to make the Panthers opening night roster. His play at both the NHL and AHL level shows it’s time for him to move on from the developmental loop. The question going into camp is where does he play? The 22-year-old has the offensive ability and has improved his two-play enough to merit duty as the club’s third-line center, a spot currently occupied by highly-paid veteran Dave Bolland. Will Bolland’s experience and contract force the Cats to shift Trocheck to the wing or will head coach Gerard Gallant move Bolland down a line and shift Derek MacKenzie to the wing, creating a very difficult to play against shutdown line? Either way, a full season of Trocheck should result in more goals for the Panthers in 2015-16.
Check out this highlight package of G.I. Tro from the Panthers official site:
Where We Voted for Trocheck
| Shane | Todd | JC | Kevin | Donny |
| 11 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 14 |
Who We Voted 11th
| Shane | Todd | JC | Kevin | Donny |
| Vincent Trocheck | Alex Petrovic | Vincent Trocheck | Quinton Howden |
Lawson Crouse
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