Vincent Trocheck, Hurricanes to hold extension talks soon?

The Hurricanes plan to revisit extension talks with pending UFA center Vincent Trocheck soon, GM Don Waddell told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription link). The two sides discussed a new deal earlier in the season but tabled those talks when no progress was being made. The 28-year-old has done a nice job rebuilding his value since coming over in a trade from Florida in 2020. At that time, his role and production had dipped, but with Carolina, he has become an important part of their top six while becoming particularly sharp at the faceoff dot. He’s playing at close to a 60-point pace this season, and knowing how high the demand for quality centers can be in free agency, his camp can certainly make a case for an increase on his current $4.75 million average annual value. However, that type of contract could be tough to fit into Carolina’s long-term cap structure.

More from the Metropolitan:

• While Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock returned to play in a pair of games before the All-Star Break, he told reporters, including Ethan Sears of the New York Post, that he still isn’t fully healthy. The 27-year-old, when healthy, the Isles' top blueliner and often logs more than 22 minutes a game. However, he has missed most of the season with a lower-body injury and played under 17 minutes in both contests after his return. The All-Star break is well-timed for him in that respect as it gives him another extended rest to try to get back to full health to try to finish his season on a high note.
• While Penguins forward Radim Zohorna has seen very limited action with Pittsburgh (just six games this season after eight appearances in 2020-21), head coach Mike Sullivan still has high hopes for the 25-year-old. He told Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the Penguins view Zohorna as someone who could be a top-nine piece for Pittsburgh. If Sullivan is that high on Zohorna’s upside, it will be interesting to see if the Penguins find a way to use him more regularly in the second half of the season.