NHL insider Chris Johnston recently joined TSN 1050 First Up radio show to discuss the Toronto Maple Leafs. He, Aaron Korolnek and Carlo Colaiacovo talked about what else the Maple Leafs could do to improve their roster ahead of training camp. Johnston said that he believes that Toronto has veteran free agent Max Pacioretty in their sights.
“Certainly someone that the Leafs have some interest in, that they’ve looked at and really I think that Max has to make a decision for himself, because it’s not just the Leafs that have knocked on his door, Toronto certainly is not his only option so we’ll just have to see. It’s not as though he’s got tons of them, but as the summer is winding to a close here, he’s in a position where I think he’s going to be able to sign a contract rather than a tryout and the Leafs are among the teams, I think, with some interest there.”
Johnston on TSN’s 1050 First Up – Sept. 3, 2024
TSN’s posted the entire clip of what Johnston had to say about the Maple Leafs’ interest in the 35-year-old left-winger on their Twitter/X account.
Pacioretty’s Cap Hit Would Fit
Remember when Elliotte Friedman wrote in his 32 Thoughts the blog that the Maple Leafs were looking for a left-winger? Well, Pacioretty would be just that. He is a left-winger who has a proven track record of putting the puck in the back of the net. Unfortunately, he has dealt with his fair share of injuries over the last few seasons, but he ready to play this season, he just needs to decide where.
If the Maple Leafs can land Pacioretty, it wouldn’t be a PTO but rather a standard player contract as per Johnston. This means it would likely be a veteran’s minimum ($750,000), one-year deal. The benefit to this for the team perspective is that they will be able to fit the contract under the salary cap and get secondary scoring help. For Pacioretty, it gives him the chance to play with a top 10 team in the NHL and get a chance to win the Stanley Cup. There is also the chance that if the fit isn’t there, or Toronto falls out of the payoff race, he has an easily moveable contract to another contender.
Maple Leafs Could Use Scoring Help
Last season with the Washington Capitals, Pacioretty had four goals and 19 assists for 23 points in 47 regular season games. This was the third-worst offensive season that he has had in his career, excluding the 2022-23 season with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he played five games and scored three points before tearing his right Achilles.
Related: What Are the Maple Leafs Getting with Steven Lorentz?
If he can play in at least 70 NHL games with the Maple Leafs on their third line and second power play unit, he could score 35+ points. At $750,000, that is very good, similar to what the club got out of Jason Spezza during this time with the organization. He could see time on a line alongside a combination of Easton Cowan, Fraser Minten, Max Domi, or Matthew Knies, and any two of those four players would be very good line mates for him to help him produce offensively.
For Pacioretty, it isn’t just the Maple Leafs; Johnston also mentioned that the Detroit Red Wings have interest in his services. With him being an American who played and captained the Montreal Canadiens, it may sway his decision towards signing with the Red Wings. However, on the other hand, the Maple Leafs are expected to be a better team than Detroit is supposed to be, which could also play a factor into his decision to sign. Regardless, he should be signing wherever he picks sooner than later, because NHL training camps start in just a few weeks.
