Vincent Trocheck

Trocheck is capable of great things offensively, but he's also been somewhat unreliable. The 31-year-old had 25 goals and a career-high 77 points in 82 regular-season contests in 2023-24, which marks the second time he recorded at least 70 points in a campaign. The previous occasion was 2017-18 when he finished with 31 goals and 75 points across 82 appearances, but between those high points, he had fewer than 60 points in four of five seasons. That makes it harder to trust Trocheck, but it does help that he's found an ideal partner with the Rangers in Artemi Panarin. As long as they continue to play together, there's a good chance Trocheck will find scoring success even if he declines mildly from last season's totals. It also helps that Trocheck contributes meaningfully in non-offensive categories -- he has recorded at least 55 PIM and 175 hits in each of his past three campaigns. Pencil him in for about 20 goals and 60 points but take him ahead of other players in that range given his upside and gritty play.

Fantasy managers can get tired of Trocheck's streakiness, but he had the second best season of his career with 22 goals and 64 points in 82 games with the Rangers last year. He also chipped in 182 hits, 17 power-play points, 225 shots on goal and 58 PIM. Trocheck's an excellent second-line center who serves as a net-front option and provides some grit, and the fact that his 9.8 shooting percentage in 2022-23 was his lowest in three years bodes well for the sustainability of his offense. Fantasy managers shouldn't reach for the 30-year-old in this year's fantasy drafts, but he can help shore up center depth without being a hindrance in any category.

Trocheck was his usual steady self a season ago, as his 21 goals and 51 points in 81 games were his most since the 2017-18 campaign. Clearly impressed by what they saw, the Rangers handed Trocheck a massive seven-year deal in free agency worth a shade over $39 million. Trocheck is expected to center New York's second line alongside Artemi Panarin. Trocheck's fantasy value will come down to his power-play usage. Trocheck has had at least a dozen points with the man advantage in six of the last seven years and will blow past that number once again if he takes the spot of the departed Ryan Strome on the Rangers' top unit, but the club could elect to put a youngster like Alexis Lafreniere there instead. Keep an eye on how New York lines up in training camp.

Trocheck's first full season with the Hurricanes was a productive one. The 28-year-old finished second on the club with 43 points, and his 17 goals represented his best output since tallying a career-high 31 scores in 2017-18. He is also an adept faceoff man who won a career-high 56 percent of his draws last season. Trocheck appears to be all the way back after a suffering a significant ankle injury in 2018-19 and offers fantasy managers a high-floor option with 30-goal upside if everything clicks.

At his best, Trocheck was a No. 2 center who could score and hit. However, his ability to produce offense has come into question in recent years -- he failed to notch more than 11 goals or 40 points for a second straight campaign in 2019-20. Injuries are partly to blame, and so are the rotating cast of misfits that lined up on his wings in Florida, but he didn't fare much better in Carolina last season. He enters 2020-21 with some major question marks, including who his linemates will be and how much competition for ice time he'll face from Jordan Staal. If he gets back on track, Trocheck will be a potential 50-point player who can also provide 200 shots and 100 hits, making him worth the gamble in the later rounds of this year's drafts.

Trocheck took a major step back after his career year in 2017-18, dropping off from 75 points in 82 games to 34 in 55. A broken ankle had a lot to do with that decline, so there's some serious bounce-back potential here with Florida's No. 2 center. Still just 26 years of age, Trocheck's flying under the radar compared to some of Florida's other top-six forwards, but he should at least get back to the form that saw him record 53 points in 2015-16 and 54 in 2016-17.

After two straight 20-goal, 50-point campaigns, Trocheck broke out in a big way during the 2017-18 season. The 5-foot-10 center potted 31 goals to complement 75 points, playing all 82 games and nearly leading the Panthers to a playoff appearance. Better yet, Trocheck scored 13 goals and 27 points with the man advantage. On top of his career highs in points and assists -- in total and on the power play -- the Pittsburgh native also set personal-best marks with 287 shots on goal and 21:22 of ice time per game. Heading into his age-25 season, Trocheck should build on his strong campaign and net another 70-plus points.

Despite Florida’s travails last season, Trocheck still cleared 20 goals and 50 points for the second consecutive campaign, and he was just one of five Panthers to play all 82 games -- which he did while averaging close to 21 minutes of ice time. He did see his rating plummet from plus-15 to minus-13, but that’s not surprising with his teammates struggling to stay healthy and perform in 2016-17. The 2011 third-round pick is a very good all-around forward who’s only getting better, so it’s reasonable to expect that he can improve his numbers. However, with a healthy Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad, Trocheck ice time may be cut back to ensure the Panthers can ice a balanced attack between their three young centers. That said, Trocheck certainly appears to have Bjugstad beat out in terms of offensive upside and durability alike, and despite being the No. 2 center, he’s routinely deployed on the first power-play unit. At 24 years old, Trocheck could put up his 60-point season as he continues to establish himself as a key piece of the Panthers’ future.

Trocheck’s NHL career has trended steadily upward, as he’s improved in goals, assists and rating in each of his first three seasons. The 23-year-old is already an elite two-way player, and even a mere repeat of his 25 goals and plus-15 rating from a season ago would make the American centerman an extremely valuable fantasy commodity. He amassed those totals despite spending much of that campaign stuck on the third line – albeit with solid power-play minutes – so Trocheck has plenty of room to grow as he enters 2016-17 with a clear leg up on Nick Bjugstad for the second-line center role.

A former third-round pick by the Panthers in 2011, Trocheck is working his way into becoming a full-time NHL player. Last season, he spent the majority of the season with the Panthers, scoring seven goals and 15 assists in 50 games. Trocheck is in line to be a third-line winger this season, where he'll provide some young blood next to veteran pivot Dave Bolland. At just 22 years old, Trocheck's stock is quickly rising, and he could find additional value if he works back into a power-play role this season.

Trocheck, a former junior scoring star, saw action in 20 games for the Panthers in 2013-14, scoring eight points. He found much greater success with San Antonio of the AHL, putting up 42 points in 55 games, making for an overall successful first season as a pro. At just 21 years old, Trocheck is still developing, and his chances to make the big club out of training camp are limited a strong group of forwards in front of him. If he saw significant time in Miami this year, he could make an impact as one of the Panthers' best prospects.

2013-14 will be Trocheck's first year as a professional, and he likely won't have much of an NHL impact. He lit up the OHL last season with a line of 50/59/109 in 63 games with the Plymouth Whalers and the Saginaw Spirit, so he could potentially get called up if he's scoring a lot for AHL San Antonio, but it would be wise to wait for him to do that before thinking about him as a fantasy option.

Trocheck, who signed an entry-level contract with the Panthers in April, will most likely spend this upcoming season with the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL. Trocheck, the team's third-round pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, posted 85 points in 65 games in his third OHL season. The hard-working, two-way forward has a ton of upside and could find his way up to the big club within the next year or two.