Vincent Trocheck and Martin St-Louis do not look like a fit right now, and that is the real update for Montreal.
The Canadiens are still checking the center market, but Darren Dreger's latest angle adds a hard obstacle. Montreal reportedly sits in Trocheck's no-trade lane, which means this is not only about asset cost. It is also about player approval.
That matters because Montreal's interest makes hockey sense on paper. Trocheck is a veteran right-shot center, listed at 5-foot-11, and he still brings edge, faceoff work, and special-teams value.
He also is not some fading spare part. Marqueur lists Trocheck at 16 goals and 37 assists for 53 points in 67 games in 2025-26 with the Rangers.
So this is not a case of the Canadiens chasing a name with no game left. It is a case of Montreal looking into a real center option and running into the player's list before anything meaningful can develop.
Dreger's note did leave one small opening. He suggested there may be some flexibility on Trocheck's side, but that is still a long way from saying he wants to come.
That is what changes the whole tone around this rumor. Montreal can test the waters, but it cannot force a player to like the destination.
"Darren Dreger: Re Canadiens: They've more or less kicked tires on Vinny Trocheck; I believe Montreal's on his no-fly zone, I think that there's some flexibility from Trocheck's perspective - OverDrive (6/26) "
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The Canadiens also are not shopping from desperation alone. Montreal finished 48-24-10 for 106 points in 2025-26, which means Kent Hughes is trying to upgrade a playoff team, not rescue a broken one.
Nick Suzuki's 101-point season proves the top of the lineup is already strong. The real hunt is for more center support behind him, and that is why names like Trocheck keep surfacing.
Still, age and term are part of the equation. Trocheck turns 33 on July 11, and Marqueur shows his contract runs through 2028-29 at a 5.625 million cap hit.
That makes this a tougher sell even before the no-trade angle. Montreal would be adding an older center with term, and doing it for a player who does not appear eager to land there.
For the Canadiens, that is probably the clearest takeaway. Vincent Trocheck is good enough to interest Montreal, but right now Montreal does not look like a place he wants to go.
And when a player is holding that card, the smartest move may be simple: keep exploring the center market and stop wasting time on a file that is already fighting uphill.
Source : A 5-foot-11 forward reportedly rejected a trade to the Montreal Canadiens
Should the Canadiens keep pushing on Vincent Trocheck despite the no-trade obstacle?
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