E-Mac's 2011 NHL Entry Draft Top 120: Vincent Trocheck #68

By Eldon MacDonald

68. Vincent Trocheck - “Mr. All-Weather” - C - USA

Vitals: Size - 5’11”, 180 lb.; Shoots right; born 11-Jul-93 - Pittsburg, PA
Team: Saginaw, OHL
2010-11 Stats: 68-26-36-62-60-(+16) + OHL playoffs 12-6-5-11-4-(-1)

Rankings:
49 - hfboards Readers’ Poll
51 - NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings (41st North American skater)
62 - Christopher Ralph's Top 210
63 - Cory Pronman's Top 100
68 - E-Mac's 2011 NHL Entry Draft Top 120
73 - The Scouting Report's Top 100
Draft result:
64 - Florida Panthers

Small dog, big bite, prepared to do what it takes to go after or keep the bone. NHL’s Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards told NHL.com - http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=555536 - “Vince has a lot of grit in his game. He's willing to battle and come out with the puck. Very good passing ability. Vince is smart, he gets himself into good shooting position on the power play and gets off one-timers. He plays a steady, two-way game and plays with good energy.”

Vince is the all-weather go-to tire that the Saginaw Gears use for all types of weather from power play to penalty kill. However, he hasn’t put up big numbers with all that quality ice time so he is probably more-suited to a third-line checker and energy role in the pros. While he has get the passion, the vision, the hockey sense and puck handling that coaches love, his lack of size, skating passing gear and average scoring are likely to result in him going third or fourth round.