A former Montreal Canadiens’ first round pick (22nd overall at the 2007 draft), Max Pacioretty spent a good chunk of his career with the Tricolore. He skated in parts of 10 seasons with the Habs, wearing the “C” for his last three campaigns in town.
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Prior to starting the last season of the six-year deal he had signed with the Canadiens, the former Michigan Wolverine was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights for Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki and a second round pick in 2019.
Related: The Canadiens Dodged a Bullet in the Pacioretty Trade
Vegas then proceeded to sign Pacioretty to a four-year contract extension with a $7 M cap hit. The Golden Knight being true to themselves and craving a new toy (Jack Eichel) had to move players to fit his contract under the cap once out of LTIR options and gave Pacioretty to the Carolina Hurricanes alongside Dylan Coughlan in the 2022 off-season in return for future considerations.
Related: Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs: the Youngsters Faced a Real NHL Team
Unfortunately for Pacioretty, he suffered two subsequent Achilles injuries which only allowed him to play five games with the Hurricanes before his contract ran out. He then signed with the Washington Capitals as a free agent for a single year and was able to suit up in 47 games last season, putting up 23 points in the process.
He was once again a free agent this Summer and unable to find a contract to his liking, he accepted to attend the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp on a professional tryout.
Related: 3 Takeaways From the Canadiens 2-1 Loss to Maple Leafs
Once upon a time, players who had worn the CH for years were uneasy about the idea of playing for the Leafs, Josh Gorges blocked a trade to Toronto in 2014, but Pacioretty has no issues with it. As The Hockey News’ David Alter reports, refusing to play for the Leafs never even crossed his mind. He even said:
My kids say it’s the best jersey that I’ve worn, how it looks on me in terms of maybe just how it fits me. […] But no, it’s such an honor to wear both the jerseys, two original-six teams, and obviously the history of both the teams. That side of it definitely doesn’t feel weird at all. I’m proud of it.
It will be interesting to see what kind of welcome Pacioretty received in Montreal wearing the Maple Leafs jersey. It would be surprising to see him play tomorrow in the second part of the home and home series as Toronto is likely to put a diluted side on the ice, but he is likely to earn a contract for this season having made a good impression so far. If he does, he’ll soon be donning the Blue and White in town.
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