The News
The Boston Bruins have had fireworks to begin their off-season. They fired head coach Bruce Cassidy, who Jim Montgomery now replaces. The uncertainty surrounding Patrice Bergeron and Don Sweeney was looming. The team will begin the year without Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. Sweeney has a new contract, and Bergeron is gearing up for a return. There is work to be done as the Bruins will be looking to contend while the captain is in the fold. The biggest gaping hole on the roster is the center position. And after this last postseason, having a reliable second-line center will go a long way.
It has been reported that the Boston Bruins are interested in the Carolina Hurricanes center Vincent Trocheck. Despite having a surging second half to the season, Erik Haula is not to be the second-line center long term.
Why The Bruins Should Pursue
Since being acquired from the Florida Panthers, he has been a mainstay on the second line for the Carolina Hurricanes. In his first two seasons, he posted 38 and 47 points. He previously had his best seasons in Florida, where he posted 53, 54, and 75 points before being traded.
But this season, he was a noticeable player and a factor in the Hurricane’s attack. In 81 games, he scored 21 goals, 30 assists, and 51 points, which ranked fifth on the team. He was also one of five 20+ goal scorers for the team. He went on to spend the season alongside Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov, and the line finished with an average of 4.24 goals for per 60 minutes. Trocheck was sensational in the faceoff dot, winning 54.6% of his draws. And if the Bruins learned anything, they knew it from playing against him in round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In 14 playoff games, he went on to score 10 points. The majority of that damage came against the Boston Bruins. He scored three goals, four assists, and seven points.
Trocheck is a player you can put in all types of situations. He can chip in offensively and play solid defensively. Trocheck has seen time on the power play and the penalty kill. He is an all-around type of player that makes an impact on both ends of the ice.
Can Don Sweeney Make It Work?
The Boston Bruins are tight against the cap. Patrice Bergeron is returning and still needs a contract in place. There are many other holes on the roster, and Don Sweeney will need to get creative. The shoe fits without a doubt; it will have to take creativity to add him to the roster. Vincent Trocheck could come cheaper than Nazem Kadri or Evgeni Malkin, but it still presents a challenge. That void has never been filled since David Krejci left for the Czech Republic.
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