It’s official now, after much conjecture: Max Pacioretty is participating in a professional tryout (PTO) at the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp. The 35-year-old left winger captained the Montreal Canadiens from 2015 to 2018 and has six seasons with 30 goals or more.
The Maple Leafs are taking a chance in this situation for a very obvious reason. Their left-wing depth is a little lacking for a contender, despite their youth and interesting nature. With 166 career NHL points between them, Matthew Knies, Easton Cowan, Nicholas Robertson, Bobby McMann, Pontus Holmberg, and Connor Dewar appear to be the strongest candidates for a position in the starting lineup on opening night. Although there is some uncertainty, players like Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Auston Matthews can help turn this inexperience into an advantage.
We now arrive at Pacioretty. In his prime, he was one of the NHL’s top goal scorers and has a wealth of leadership experience. Even though he was an analytical failure during his most recent campaign with the Washington Capitals, he did contribute to the man advantage. He totalled 23 points in 47 games with four goals and 19 assists. At minus-14, he had the second-worst plus/minus rating of his career.
Even though even strength hockey is played most of the time, maybe the idea here is that Toronto is so good that they can help him with his problems. Given their predominance in even-strength play, Pacioretty’s background as a player and a leader off the ice may make that deficiency seem less significant. Additionally, there’s always the possibility that he improves—this isn’t a no-risk acquisition, even though it’s difficult to imagine this seasoned player having an epiphany and hitting 30-goal heights once more.
Ultimately, it’s wise to consider all of your possibilities. This PTO might end up becoming a spell with the Blue and White if the Maple Leafs believe Pacioretty brings something new to the squad. Maybe he could assist the young guns.
