It’s not a secret that the Minnesota Wild need to find a top-line center this offseason and one of the long-rumored names has been Vincent Trocheck. Trocheck was a top target for the Wild at March’s trade deadline before Minnesota balked at the asking price of New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury but Minnesota could be in the mix again if they re-visit talks this summer.
With the trade winds swirling, Trocheck made an interesting move changing his representation on Wednesday. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Trocheck has hired Pat Brisson and Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to represent him moving forward and the change “will fuel more” of the 32-year-old’s trade speculation “in the days ahead.”
Trocheck’s switch is notable for several reasons. While he currently has a 12-team no-trade clause in his seven-year, $39.3 million contract, that number drops to 10 teams on July 1 according to Puckpedia. By switching agents, Trocheck could rely on Brisson to facilitate his next destination and it could give the Wild an advantage if they pursue him this summer.
Vincent Trocheck’s switch to Pat Brisson could streamline Wild’s offseason
There were already several connections to Trocheck and the Wild and that was before his name was floated out in trade rumors last spring. A member of the United States’ teams in the 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 Winter Olympics chosen by Bill Guerin, Trocheck also played with Matt Boldy and Brock Faber on both teams while meeting up with Quinn Hughes during the Olympics.
Speaking of Hughes, Brisson also represents the Wild’s star defenseman as well as Dylan Larkin, who remains a popular trade target for Minnesota after his request for a trade from the Detroit Red Wings. While some believe Larkin is a prime target, the Wild may not have the assets to get the job done, which could leave them pivoting to Trocheck.
In addition, Guerin will also be discussing a potential contract extension with Hughes this summer, which means that there will be plenty of calls going back and forth to the same person as the Wild retool their roster for next season.
A small hurdle may be Trocheck’s reported preference to stay on the East Coast, but his previous connections could make a compelling case for the Wild in a move that would give a strong boost to their top six.
Trocheck scored 16 goals and recorded 52 points for the Rangers last season but had missed just one game and scored 20 or more goals in each of the previous four seasons combined. That includes a career year in 2023-24 where he scored 25 times and recorded 77 points and he’s a strong overall player who contributes on the penalty kill while also winning 54.3 percent of his career faceoffs.
Brisson’s involvement adds an interesting wrinkle in getting Trocheck to Minnesota. But it could also be a move that streamlines the Wild’s offseason process and puts a pin into a potential headliner move going into the summer.
Add us as a preferred source on Google