Recent rumours have the Toronto Maple Leafs trying to sign Max Pacioretty.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are basically capped out, depending on whether or not Jani Hakanpaa ends up joining the team, but they do have some flexibility because of the expensive players at the bottom of their roster that they could presumably get rid of, should that become necessary.
Max Pacioretty is a 35 year old player at the end of his carrer, and the Leafs probably shouldn't have any intrested, but let's analyze it and find out.
Would Pacioretty be the right candidate for the Maple Leafs to pursue? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of signing the 16-year-veteran forward.
The pros and cons for the Toronto Maple Leafs in signing Max Pacioretty
Pros
As a former captain with the Montreal Canadiens along with over 900 NHL games played under his belt, Pacioretty would bring a whole lot of veteran leadership and experience to the Leafs. For a team that has been hungry for a proven playoff performer, Pacioretty has recorded 25 goals and 25 assists for 50 points over 78 career playoff games.
In addition, with the departure of Tyler Bertuzzi to free agency and the uncertainty of the Nick Robertson situation heading into the 2024-25 season, it has ultimately left a huge hole on left wing for the Maple Leafs. Pacioretty could help fill that void seamlessly, along with potentially providing some much-needed offensive punch with his 330 career goals and 668 career points during the regular season.
Moreover, having been plagued with injuries in recent years that has likely diminished his value to some extent, the Leafs should be able to land Pacioretty at a better than expected price. So what more can the Leafs ask for?
Cons
However, for that exact same reason, Pacioretty’s inability to stay healthy has severely affected his overall effectiveness and production in the past two seasons. In 52 games played in total, he recorded just 7 goals and 19 assists for 26 points. His 0.5 ppg pace was significantly below his usual 0.75 ppg that he put up in seasons prior. Added to the fact that he had suffered two major Achilles tendon injuries during the 2022-23 season with the Carolina Hurricanes, he may never be able to regain his explosiveness from before.
In fact, he almost certainly will not. NHL Players do not get better after they decline in their thirties. The last time Pacioretty played in the NHL, he was a negative value player who lost his minutes. There is no where for him to play on the Leafs where he would be an improvement.
Pacioretty's days of playing at the top of an NHL linup are numbered and the Leafs have younger, cheaper, higher-upside options for the rest of their lineup. There is just no way the team should be bringing in a 35 year old player in decline to take minutes from the players they need to develop.
On top of that, Pacioretty will be turning 36 this November. Even at a cheap cost, there is risk for the Leafs in signing this player because he's likely to block their prospects while making him worse, The potential rewards are low and the chance of hitting on them is lower still. The risk vs reward makes no sense here, and the Leafs should really focus on their needs elsewhere instead. (All stats from NHL.com and cap space from puckpedia.com)
The Toronto Maple Leafs would be wise to stay away from Pacioretty.