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Panthers lose ‘best player’ Trocheck (foot) for rest of regular season

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Vincent Trocheck is tied for the team lead with 25 goals for the Florida Panthers, but he is believed to have a fracture just above the foot after blocking a shot. Will he be able to return in time for the playoffs?

The news is in on Vincent Trocheck, and it isn’t good.

Trocheck, who’s racked up 26 points in Florida’s last 27 games, is in a cast and on crutches after taking a shot to the foot in Tuesday’s loss to the Maple Leafs.

Per the Florida Sun-Sentinel, Trocheck is expected to miss the remainder of the Panthers’ regular season -- six games left -- and could also be out for the first week of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

At 22, Trocheck is enjoying a terrific breakout campaign in Florida. He sits third on the team in scoring, with 53 points through 76 games, and is tied with Jaromir Jagr for the team lead in goals (25).

In fact, Jagr went so far as to say Trocheck’s been the team’s top individual performer lately.

“He was our best player for a long time,” Jagr said following the loss to Toronto. “It’s tough. Not only we lost this game, we lost our best player.

“Hopefully somebody else is going to step up, but he was playing so well.”

With Trocheck out, the Panthers have recalled Rocco Grimaldi from AHL Portland.