Vincent Trocheck hired a heavyweight agent and the Maple Leafs may already be priced out

Vincent Trocheck hired powerhouse agent Pat Brisson as his new representative as speculation about his exit from New York continues to swirl.

There's been a lot of trade rumours around Vincent Trocheck and it makes sense considering that the New York Rangers have traded a large group of their veteran talent and haven't exactly been secretive when it comes to wanting to make some serious changes.

Trocheck will no doubt be in demand given that he plays a premium position (centre), is one of the best two-way players in the NHL, has a fairly reasonable deal ($5.625-million for three more years), and he's still able to put up above average offensive numbers to boot.

We previously touched on how Trocheck could benefit the Maple Leafs lineup as a great way to give both Auston Matthews and John Tavares the help they need, though the team would likely need to pay a big price to get it done.

Vincent Trocheck switches to the biggest agent in hockey as trade rumours swirl

Well, it seems like Trocheck is looking for a chance of scenery as well, at least when it comes to his representation and it could be leading to a move down the line.

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Trocheck switched from having Matthew Oates as his agent and has now chosen arguably the biggest name in the game - Pat Brisson:

Sources say Vincent Trochek has hired Pat Brisson and CAA to represent him moving forward. Trochek was a target of trade speculation heading into the Deadline, so this change will fuel more of that in the days ahead. Lots of teams interested.

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Brisson is an agent who represents the likes of Jason and Nicholas Robertson, Anze Kopitar, Claude Giroux, and Trevor Zegras and according to Puckpedia holds 54 active clients with nearly $1.5-billion in combined deals.

Also to note, Brisson's son Brendan is a player in the Rangers system with the Hartford Wolf Pack, so while it may be a matter of getting Trocheck more time and a prominent role, it's a connection that can't be overlooked.

The Maple Leafs may be outbid in their pursuit of Trocheck now that Brisson is in charge of things

So with him looking potentially for a new home, the Maple Leafs once again should circle back to him - but it's going to cost even more.

Brisson is going to get the best possible deal for his client, and if he has other destinations in mind then it's likely that his agent will work towards getting him there than the best deal for the Rangers. He has a modified 10-team no-trade clause, so he's in control of where he wants to go to a point.

The Athletic proposed a deal that would involve Easton Cowan and a second-round pick going the other way, but that price is likely going to increase on New York's behalf, and Brisson is going to ensure that Trocheck gets top minutes.

If Toronto isn't on the shortlist of teams, or one of the last destinations he would prefer, then it's likely that he's not going to find it too hard to get on one of his preferred teams especially with Brisson at the helm. John Chayka would really need to incentivize his time here, and it may mess with what he has in mind.

The team has made some surprising moves over the past 24 hours with the trade of Joseph Woll and the hiring of Jim Hiller, so maybe Toronto adding Trocheck is going to be the next surprise.

But don't count on it now that Pat Brisson is Trocheck's agent, because he always gets what's best for his client regardless of how it'll help a specific team - Trocheck's the one that pays him after all.

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The real reason Chayka hired Jim Hiller goes beyond his history with the Maple Leafs