The Carolina Hurricanes’ dangerous offense played a huge role in the team’s success this season and one of the key contributors was Vincent Trocheck.
Trocheck was acquired by the Hurricanes from the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline last year. Since then, he’s become a very important member of the team’s forward group, centering the second line. This season, he scored 17 goals and 43 points in 47 games, a pace of 30 goals and 75 points per 82 games, which was tied for the highest points per game average of any season of his career.
Considering how great he’s been for the Hurricanes, it’s pretty wild to think about what Carolina gave up to get him. To recap, here was the trade:
TO CAROLINA:
F- Vincent Trocheck
TO FLORIDA:
F- Erik Haula
F- Lucas Wallmark
F- Eetu Luostarinen
D- Chase Priskie
The major roster pieces that the Panthers acquired in the trade were Erik Haula and Lucas Wallmark. Haula was a decent middle-six option who the Hurricanes had got from Vegas in the prior offseason, while Wallmark was a 24-year-old center, who could score at a pace of about 30 points per 82 games.
However, Haula spent just 11 games with the Panthers between the regular season and playoffs, before leaving in the offseason to sign with Nashville, and then Lucas Wallmark wasn’t extended a qualifying offer. Wallmark returned to Florida in a trade with Chicago this past season, but only played four more games with the Panthers, before signing in the KHL last month.
This leaves just Luostarinen and Priskie, who were the prospects acquired in the deal. Luostarinen is just 22 years old and did make the jump to the NHL this year, but managed just three goals and eight points in 44 games, while averaging a little over 13 minutes per game this season. Priskie, on the other hand, is now 25 years old and has yet to play an NHL game.
While it did seem clear when Trocheck was acquired that Carolina was poised to win the deal, it’s obvious now that the Hurricanes got an absolute steal in the trade. Trocheck solidified Carolina’s center depth and was one of the team’s top scorers this year, while the Panthers got very little in return.
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Vincent Trocheck's contract expires next summer - do you think he'll remain with the team long-term?
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