Thin Center Market Keeps Vincent Trocheck on Bruins’ Radar
· Yahoo Sports
The Boston Bruins’ front office was clear when they said the team lacks a true No. 1 center.
Multiple options have surfaced on trade boards throughout the summer; some have fallen off, but New York’s Vincent Trocheck has been on the market since long before the trade deadline.
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Trocheck, who turns 33 in July, finished this season with 53 points (16-37–53) in 67 games. His production has declined since posting 77 points (25-52–77) in 2023-24, but so have the Rangers.
Even during a rocky season on Broadway, the Rangers owned a 52.2% share of all shot attempts with Trocheck on the ice.
Vince Z. Mercogliano and Hailey Salvian of The Athletic ($) reported that “the Bruins are one of the teams that made a play for Trocheck.” Mercogliano and Salvian examined buy-low targets, including Mason Lohrei, and said Lohrei is “a logical trade piece in a package if they re-engage the Rangers this summer.”
At the trade deadline, the Rangers wanted something similar to the haul the Islanders got for Brock Nelson. Trocheck was ultimately not moved, but he remains one of their top trade chips as they usher in another retool under Chris Drury. At the 2025 trade deadline, the Islanders got a first, a third, prospect Cal Ritchie, and a depth defenseman.
A recent mock trade proposal from The Athletic ($) has the Bruins offering Matt Poitras, a 2026 first-rounder, and their 2028 first-rounder (latest between Boston and Florida).
Mercogliano suggested the Rangers will look for a higher centerpiece than Poitras, “but two first-round picks make this proposal hard to say no to.”
The glaring issue?
Trocheck is not the “true No. 1 [center]” that the Bruins do not have.
He is a high-end 2C who plays both sides of special teams. Trocheck brings a physical game, too, and regularly logs more than 20 minutes per night. He would instantly become an option to slot alongside David Pastrnak and handle top-line minutes.
He can also hold the spot until a younger in-house option, such as James Hagens or Fraser Minten, is ready for the role.
The market for a true No. 1 center is thin. Free agency offers little help, with Claude Giroux and Boone Jenner as the two highest-scoring centers unsigned. The trade market has not given the Bruins much to work with either, but these players do not regularly hit the market.
Dylan Larkin did not have Boston in his reported list of preferred teams, and Robert Thomas is not on the market this summer.
The cost is also high, which goes hand-in-hand with a great contract and thin market. Trocheck is signed for three more seasons at a $5.625 million cap hit. With a rising salary cap, the contract only looks more valuable.
However, the Bruins have more assets than in years past, thanks to their quick retool. The Bruins have five first-round picks in the next three years, including two unprotected selections from Toronto and Florida. They also have a pool of prospects they can dive into.
Trocheck may not be the true No. 1 center the Bruins lack, but this summer has shown just how rarely those players become available. With a thin market and the Bruins’ newfound assets, it is easy to see why they reportedly made a play for him.
The bigger question is whether or not the Bruins are willing to pay a premium for a player who improves but does not completely solve their lack of a 1C.
That’s the market they’re in, though.
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