The Montreal Canadiens didn’t add very much ahead of March’s trade deadline and many feel it certainly would have helped them get into the Stanley Cup Final. However, there’s plenty of speculation brewing that the Canadiens were in advanced trade talks with the New York Rangers about Vincent Trocheck.
Bruce Garrioch: The talk in league circles is that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, the Habs’ vice-president of hockey operations, may have been in talks with the Rangers for a trade that would have included centre Vincent Trocheck in return – Ottawa Citizen (6/1)
Trocheck was involved in lots of trade talks leading up to the deadline and was even pulled from the lineup in early March as talks intensified. No deal was reached, Trocheck remained with the Rangers and now trade talks will resume leading into the NHL Draft in a few weeks from Buffalo.
The Habs certainly have the trade assets to acquire the two-way center, and they have a gaping hole at their second-line center position which Trocheck could fill. Don’t be surprised to see these two teams re-engage as we enter the offseason.
As far as trade chips, Sam Montembeault will be traded this offseason, and with the Rangers needing a backup netminder for Igor Shesterkin, there’s a good chance he would be involved in this deal. There’s also a number of high-end prospects who the Rangers would have trade interest in, including Oliver Kapanen, Owen Beck, and Joshua Roy.
If Montreal doesn’t land Trocheck, don’t be surprised to see another Eastern Conference team pony up to the high demands of Rangers general manager Chris Drury. Trocheck prefers to stay in the Eastern Conference, even though he’s a perfect fit for the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Minnesota Wild.
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