The Montreal Canadiens should be looking to make some upgrades this off-season. Their top need is a second-line center, but they will not find one in this year's weak free agent class. Because of this, if the Canadiens want to improve down the middle, they will need to through the trade market. When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck stands out as an interesting potential option for the Canadiens to consider. There is an expectation that Trocheck will be traded this summer. The Rangers shopped him leading up to the trade deadline and even scratched him for roster-management purposes. While he ended up staying put, they should listen to offers for him again this summer. With the Canadiens needing a center, they should consider kicking tires on him. If the Canadiens landed Trocheck, he would give them an answer for their second-line center spot as their young players continue to grow. Trocheck would also give them another forward who works in all situations due to his solid all-around play. Trocheck also has term, as he has a $5.625 million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season. That is a very reasonable cap hit for what he provides. In 67 games this season for the Rangers, he had 16 goals, 53 points, and 193 hits. This is after he had 26 goals, 59 points, and 214 hits in 82 games for New York in 2024-25. He also had a career-high 77 points during his All-Star 2023-24 season. Overall, with the Canadiens needing a center, Trocheck is among the players who they should consider making a push for this summer.
