Dale Tallon unironically declares Vincent Trocheck to be the Florida Panthers' most important player this season.
"He saved our team this year," Tallon admitted to Dan Rosen of NHL.com.
It's a curious statement to make for the general manager of a team that features a top line of Aleksander Barkov, Jaromir Jagr, and Jonathan Huberdeau, a franchise defenseman in Aaron Ekblad, and a rejuvenated Roberto Luongo excelling in net.
The 22-year-old - who was selected in the third round of the 2011 NHL Draft - has indeed broken out in a big way for the Panthers, with 23 goals and 27 assists in 73 games, but it's Trocheck's complete game that has earned the trust of both management and the coaching staff.
"We knew he had some warts as far as the defensive side, but now he's making better decisions, not turning the puck over and trying to beat guys one on one," Tallon continued. "He's just been better and better every game. He's been terrific."
Trocheck's emergence has come in a second-line center role, with Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith on his wings. The former confirms Tallon's assessment to be no joke.
"Saving a season is a strong statement, but without him no chance we'd be in this spot right now," Jokinen said. "That's a fair thing to say. When we've needed him, he's been there and he's been really reliable."
The additions of Jiri Hudler and Teddy Purcell prior to the deadline have given Tallon that much more depth up front, meaning the Panthers could very well translate their regular-season success into a long playoff run.
If so, it'll be Trocheck who plays as big a role as anybody on the roster.
