Dominique Ducharme Linked to the KHL, Vincent Trocheck Signs Pat Brisson, and the Mason McTavish Situation

What does the future hold for Dominique Ducharme?

The former Canadiens coach, who became an assistant coach with the Golden Knights three years ago, is coming to the end of his contract. Will he be back with the Vegas team?

Since we don't yet know who the team's head coach will be, it's hard to say.

But what we do know is that Ducharme has recently been linked to a KHL team: the Minsk Dynamo. Will he actually go there to coach starting this year?

As reported in an article by TVA Sports, Ducharme himself isn't denying anything. And he says he's open to hearing what's on the table in the coming weeks.

“There are talks here and there. I'll make the best decision for my family and for myself.” – Dominique Ducharme

“We could have taken a 2–0 lead in the series” https://t.co/7d69D8tcjC

— TVA Sports (@TVASports) June 16, 2026

A change of agent that speaks volumes

According to Darren Dreger's report, Vincent Trocheck chose to switch agents in mid-June. That's never a trivial matter, especially at this time of year.

He's now represented by Pat Brisson.

Sources say Vincent Trocheck has hired Pat Brisson and CAA to represent him moving forward. Trocheck was the subject of trade speculation leading up to the trade deadline, so this change will fuel more of that in the days ahead. Lots of teams are interested.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 17, 2026

We know that Trocheck isn't really tied to the Canadiens anymore. Could things change with a new agent like Brisson, who has ties to the Canadiens?

We'll see. But don't hold your breath.

The Mason McTavish Situation

This morning, we discussed how the Anaheim Ducks are ones to watch in the Dylan Larkin situation. A trade involving Mason McTavish could make sense.

But are the Ducks definitely looking for a center in exchange for McTavish? Could this, in reality, end up being two separate trades for Pat Verbeek?

Who knows.

Because according to Marco D'Amico, who retweeted Kevin Weekes' report that the Ducks want an established player, a top-four right-handed defenseman is in their sights.

Building on this—and absolutely unsurprisingly—sources have told me that he'd be prime trade bait for a top-four, right-shot defenseman.

There's potential for a Jacob Trouba return, but in the absence of that, it's a position they wish to solidify with John Carlson leaving. https://t.co/9VK4DHJGkU

— Marco D'Amico (@mndamico) June 17, 2026

Would David Reinbacher be valuable enough to the Ducks to meet the team's needs, given that he doesn't exactly have a lot of NHL experience? It's a fair question… even if we can guess the answer.

So does the Habs (who don't seem eager to trade their prospect) have what it takes to strike a deal with the Ducks?

In a nutshell

– Options for D.J. Smith.

Former Kings head coach D.J. Smith already has a few options out there for assistant roles. We'll see if Toronto's added to his list after the Leafs hired Jim Hiller as their head coach.

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 17, 2026

– Note.

Eight nominations for RDS at the Gémeaux Awardshttps://t.co/Y8L3u4G78F

— RDS (@RDSca) June 17, 2026

– For those interested.

Toronto is in the running for one of them. https://t.co/YhlyaEjsDA https://t.co/eDotNY2kU0

— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) June 17, 2026

– The 2026–2027 NHL season is expected to begin in September.

The 2026–27 #NHL 84-game regular season is tentatively scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 29; the full schedule will be released in July.

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) June 17, 2026