Florida Panthers: Vincent Trocheck Will Hit the 35-Goal Mark

After years of hard work, Vincent Trocheck has improved enough to reach thirty-five goals this season.

Since the 2016-17 season, Florida Panthers number two center Vincent Trocheck has really stepped up as a scoring threat. In that year, Trocheck had a career-high of twenty-three goals, starting to raise eyebrows around the league. This was just the beginning of his breakout.

As the next season came around, the development of the American forward continued, as Trocheck became a well-known name around the NHL.

He posted thirty-one goals that year, establishing himself as a guy that teams needed to keep an eye on. After major increases in goals in previous years, it’s time for Vincent Trocheck to hit the thirty-five goal mark in the 2018-19 season.

To start, Troch is now surrounded with linemates that make it almost easy for him to put the puck in the back of the net.

Last season, he was given Jonathan Huberdeau to work with on the second line, after Huberdeau was demoted so Nick Bjugstad could play with Aleksander Barkov and Evgeni Dadonov on the first. From that point, Trocheck and Huberdeau put on a show, helping Trocheck’s goal total skyrocket.

Now, the Panthers made the perfect addition. They added scoring threat Mike Hoffman to the roster, who’s played the first two games on the second line with Vinnie and Huby. If they can develop quick chemistry and produce offensively, there’s no reason why Trocheck shouldn’t hit the thirty-five goal mark this season.

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Moreover, the work and amount of time that he plays on special teams can be beneficial towards adding up goals for Vinnie. Last season, Trocheck had plenty of time on the power play, sitting on the right side to hit one-timers top shelf past goaltenders around the league. This was on display in instances against the Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, and others. His extended power play time should and will help contribute towards his goal total.

On the other side of special teams, his time on the penalty kill can provide some offense in the rare occasion. Especially on a PK unit consisting of Aleksander Barkov, he’s prone to score some goals.

One time this proved to be true last season came in a game against the Vegas Golden Knights. As Trocheck moved past a bunch of Knights, his shot was stopped by Malcolm Subban but put in by Barkov. Even though he didn’t score on this play, he still has the capability to put on a show when a man short.

To continue, #21 can get to at least thirty-five goals this year because of his blistering wrist shot. Since the beginning of his career, Trocheck’s best method of appearing on the score sheet is using his signature shot. It’s a combination of precision, accuracy, and rocket-like speed giving goaltenders nightmares.

While there are many examples of this sniper showing off his shot, there’s one instance that best shows his capabilities. On a date with the New York Rangers, the Cats were down by one with about a minute left.

After seconds following the goalie being pulled, Trocheck rushed down the right side and put the puck over the shoulder of star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. It was a rocket-like shot, resulting in roars from the crowd.

With all of the advantages he has on the ice, Trocheck’s prone to hit that thirty-five goal mark. His extended time on the ice, new linemates, and incredible shot shouldn’t limit the number of times Vinnie puts the puck in the back of the net.