Max Pacioretty has certainly been making his presence felt in the playoffs thus far for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Through one round and the first two games of the second round, Pacioretty has been a real difference maker for the Maple Leafs, tallying two goals thus far and leading the team in hits with 34.
Coming into their first round matchup against the Ottawa Senators, Pacioretty was an after thought for most Leafs fans. The 36-year-old suited up in just 37 games during the regular season, and he wasn't even in the lineup for Game 1 of the playoffs. In fact, Pacioretty wasn't in the lineup for the first two games and didn't crack the lineup until Game 3 of the first round when he replaced Nick Robertson.
Pacioretty ended up netting the game winner in Game 6 against Ottawa, propelling the Maple Leafs to a second round date with the Florida Panthers.
Pacioretty's good play didn't halt after one round, though, as his solid play has continued into the second round against the Cats, leading the team with 7 hits in the series so far and burying a goal past Sergei Bobrovsky in Game 2.
Pacioretty joined the Maple Leafs initially on a PTO prior to the season, and eventually signed a one-year deal for $873, 000 in early October prior to the season beginning.
Pacioretty was a member of the Montreal Canadiens for ten seasons, and was captain for three of those seasons, before being dealt to the Golden Knights in September of 2018. He ended up spending four seasons with Vegas before injuries started to pile up for him. Since the 2021-22 season, Pacioretty has dealt with a broken foot, wrist surgery, multiple tears on his right achilles, and groin surgery. After brief stints with Carolina and Washington, it was starting to look like the former Habs captain career was coming to an end.
Then, in September of 2024, "Patches" joined the Maple Leafs on a professional tryout during training camp, in a move that seemed pretty minor at the time. Come early October, he turned that PTO into a one-year deal, and most Leafs fans were thinking he could be a good depth guy for this team.
Come May 2025, in the midst of a second round battle with the defending Stanley Cup champions in the Florida Panthers, Max Pacioretty is playing a pivotal role for a very good Maple Leafs squad and is over performing many fans expecations.