{"id":478038,"date":"2026-03-01T01:43:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T01:43:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/478038\/"},"modified":"2026-03-01T01:43:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T01:43:41","slug":"red-wings-now-frontrunners-for-gold-medal-winning-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/478038\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Wings now frontrunners for Gold Medal-winning center"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t  &#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/646668.webp.webp\" style=\"width:100%;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Jan 27, 2024; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; New York Rangers center Vincent Trochek (16) skates in the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre.\" title=\"Jan 27, 2024; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; New York Rangers center Vincent Trochek (16) skates in the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre.\"\/>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p>Vincent Trocheck could soon be packing his bags for Detroit as head coach Todd McLellan looks to bolster his forward group.<\/p>\n<p>Elliotte Friedman reported early Friday that the Red Wings are the undisputed frontrunners to acquire the veteran center from New York.<\/p>\n<p>This move addresses a massive hole down the middle for a Detroit squad that desperately needs an upgrade. Their top six lacks bite.<\/p>\n<p>Trocheck is riding incredibly high. He captured a highly coveted Olympic gold medal with Team USA just a few days ago in Italy.<\/p>\n<p>His international performance showcased his elite defensive instincts against the absolute best players in the world. He was an absolute machine.<\/p>\n<p>With 36 points already in the bank through 43 games this season, his offensive output is undeniable. He produces every single night.<\/p>\n<p>He carries a very team-friendly $5.625 million cap hit that extends through the 2028-29 campaign. That is a massive bargain.<\/p>\n<p>The Perfect Fit For Detroit<\/p>\n<p>Detroit holds significant leverage right now. They possess the available cap space to absorb his entire salary without shipping out a core piece.<\/p>\n<p>General Manager Steve Yzerman boasts a deep prospect pool and multiple draft picks to easily facilitate this blockbuster deal.<\/p>\n<p>The Red Wings locker room desperately needs a battle-tested veteran. They need someone who knows how to navigate the intense pressure of a long road trip.<\/p>\n<p>Trocheck brings a heavy physical edge to the ice. He has already registered 130 hits while consistently driving the transition game.<\/p>\n<p>He completely dominates the faceoff dot. Winning a staggering 56.5 percent of his draws on the year makes him invaluable in late-game situations.<\/p>\n<p>Adding him would instantly stabilize the penalty kill. It also takes tough defensive assignments away from the younger centers trying to find their footing.<\/p>\n<p>The Rangers are backed into a corner with their cap situation. They must clear salary immediately to make their own corresponding moves.<\/p>\n<p>Expect crisp passing and highly controlled entries if Trocheck puts on the winged wheel jersey before the trade deadline. He changes their entire dynamic.<\/p>\n<p>Previously on Detroit Hockey Insider<\/p>\n<p>POLL<\/p>\n<p>3 HOURS AGO|59 ANSWERS<\/p>\n<p>Red Wings now frontrunners for Gold Medal-winning center<\/p>\n<p>Will Vincent Trocheck lead the Red Wings to the playoffs if traded ?<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"&#13; &#13; &#13; Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images Vincent Trocheck could soon be packing his bags for Detroit&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":478039,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5101],"tags":[599,93,5137,2300,5,35,4,546,3358,5138,1930,3042],"class_list":{"0":"post-478038","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-detroit-red-wings","8":"tag-detroit","9":"tag-detroit-red-wings","10":"tag-detroitredwings","11":"tag-elliotte-friedman","12":"tag-hockey","13":"tag-new-york-rangers","14":"tag-nhl","15":"tag-nhl-trade-rumors","16":"tag-red-wings","17":"tag-redwings","18":"tag-todd-mclellan","19":"tag-vincent-trocheck"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116151387263848520","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=478038"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478038\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/478039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=478038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=478038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=478038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}