The Florida Panthers are nearing an extension with C Vincent Trocheck, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Friedman adds in a separate tweet that the deal will be for six years and carry a cap hit of $4.75MM. This would mark the fourth big contract the Panthers have committed to in recent days, the others being Keith Yandle, Aaron Ekblad, and Jason Demers, who just signed earlier today.
2015-16 was a breakout campaign for Trocheck. In his first full season as an NHL regular, the 22 year old played in 76 games, scoring 25 goals while adding 28 assists while averaging 17:46 per game. His 53 points ranked 5th on the Panthers.
This deal ensures that Florida’s center situation is solidified for many years to come. Aleksander Barkov, their 20 year old top pivot, begins a new six year deal with a cap hit of $5.9MM in 2016-17 while Nick Bjugstad, who has 39 goals over the last two years, has another five years left on his deal at a cap charge of $4.1MM. At 23, Bjugstad is the oldest of Florida’s top three centers. Trocheck likely slots in as the second line pivot for the Panthers next season.
With the deal, Florida has just over $3.7MM in cap space according to Cap Friendly.