Max Pacioretty will officially join the Toronto Maple Leafs on a professional tryout ahead of training camp, the team confirmed Wednesday.
It was previously reported by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli that Pacioretty and the Maple Leafs were expected to reach an agreement before the start of the season, as the team works through salary cap issues. There were a number of teams interested in adding Pacioretty, including the Detroit Red Wings, as previously reported by The Athletic’s Arthur Staple.
Pacioretty’s agent, Allan Walsh, confirmed that he expects his client to sign a contract with the Maple Leafs before the start of the 2024-25 season.
We expect Max Pacioretty will sign a contract with the Leafs before the start of the season. #Patch https://t.co/H20FcsnQNP
— Allan Walsh🏒 (@walsha) September 11, 2024
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Pacioretty recorded four goals and 23 points in 47 regular season games with the Washington Capitals last season, adding an assist in four playoff games. He is a veteran winger who is best known for his stint as the Montreal Canadiens’ captain, spending the first 10 seasons of his career with the organization after being selected in the first round of the 2007 NHL Draft.
At this juncture of his career, Pacioretty will be fighting for a bottom-six role while his veteran experience will surely be welcomed by a Maple Leafs team looking to make an extended playoff run, in the first year of Auston Matthews’ captaincy. The 36-year-old has suffered numerous injuries in recent years, including two Achilles injuries and a foot ailment. He’s no longer the player he was in his prime but he’s still an effective player around the net and could potentially feast against weaker competition.
It constitutes a low-risk, high-reward move for the Maple Leafs, especially given the nature of a PTO. In previous seasons, Zach Aston-Reese and Noah Gregor have forged their way onto the roster after stellar camps and Pacioretty’s veteran pedigree is something that surely appealed to general manager Brad Treliving. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube seemingly embraces open competition and Pacioretty adds a bit more pop to a team that already led the NHL in 5-on-5 goals last season.
Toronto is expected to release its training camp schedule shortly, with camps slated to open across the league next week.
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