After Nicholas Robertson requested a trade at the beginning of the offseason, the 23-year-old and the Toronto Maple Leafs came to an agreement, reaching a one-year deal worth $875,000. It gives him the reassurance that he would have every opportunity to succeed this season.
However, reports swirled that Robertson could still be on the move and that the Maple Leafs are in talks of bringing in veteran scorer Max Pacioretty. With Robertson in the fold for now and Pacioretty coming in on a potential professional tryout or one-year deal, the Maple Leafs are slowly starting to build up their depth on the left side of their forward group. Something that was a question mark coming into the 2024-25 season.
At 35 years old, Pacioretty has always been a productive and consistent point producer in his career. However, this isn’t the same player when he was with the Montreal Canadiens. Like Robertson, Pacioretty has a lot to prove coming into camp that he can still be an impactful player. Whatever his contract status will be, there’s a potential that it can work out as this is a low-risk, high-reward kind of move for the Maple Leafs.
Pacioretty Could Bring More Fire Power
On the surface, Pacioretty brings a wealth of experience as an offensive goal scorer in the league, notably with the Canadiens. He’s a six-time 30-goal scorer in the league and has been a legitimate and consistent 60-point producer over his career.
He has amassed 330 career goals and some of that translated into his early 30’s when he was with the Vegas Golden Knights. However, that was before the injuries occurred. He’s only recently starting to get back to form after he had suffered from two serious Achilles injuries in back to back seasons. When he returned last season with the Washington Capitals, he had four goals and 23 points in 47 games. He had a 4.2 shooting percentage last season, which was the lowest of his career since 2009-10, his second season in the NHL with the Canadiens when he had a 4.1 S%.
Related: Fallout From Nick Robertson Deal with Maple Leafs May Spark Moves
The fact that Pacioretty suffered the same injury twice is concerning. If there’s another injury like that, it could be another lengthy stint on the injured reserve list. However, the potential for him to be a fixture in the top-six still remains. He’s a player that can do damage at even strength and on the power play with his shot as he’s known as a finisher, though his defensive metrics aren’t very strong.
There’s no doubt that if Pacioretty is healthy and after dedicating a full offseason of training, he’d be a welcoming addition to an already lethal offensive forward group. He can easily fill the void as a top-six forward and could be a player to replace the 21 goals that Tyler Bertuzzi had last season. If Pacioretty is able to still produce as a secondary scorer in that range of production while being a possible 40-point player, then that would be the ideal scenario for the Maple Leafs. That’s why this is a low-risk move that can have a big payoff.
Battle for Left Wing is Going to be Fierce
Before September started, it was looking like Matthew Knies and Bobby McMann were going to be potential names to be in the top-six for the Maple Leafs at left wing. There is going to be the question of pushing some players back and hinder their chances. However, with the news of Robertson signing and the potential arrival of Pacioretty is definitely going to make training camp interesting.
There were no major battles for spots then, but now, there’s a going to be a fierce battle on the left side. Robertson brings a feisty side to his game with his speed, energy and ability to establish an attack quickly. There’s a chance for him to crack the roster as a result of his style and he’s going to be given that opportunity. He has the advantage over Pacioretty in that area as he really isn’t the quickest skater. Both players excel at getting pucks on net and if they can both make the roster, it can make a formidable duo.
Robertson shows no fear and is constantly battling and Pacioretty, while being an offensive player isn’t afraid to work hard and even play with some bite and physicality. Pacioretty has hit the 100-hit mark five times in his career and even had 76 last season. If he’s able to play with an edge and score, that could work to the Maple Leafs advantage much like Robertson’s willingness to not give up on a play.
While Knies could be the one to possibly be on the top line, Robertson, Pacioretty and McMann are going to make the second and third-line battle very interesting. Let’s not forget about Dewar as well. What wasn’t a competition to start with, is now something to keep an eye on during training camp.
Related: Maple Leafs Need to Stick With Timmins Amid Pacioretty Rumours
The addition of Pacioretty gives the Maple Leafs depth on the left side, something they didn’t have before. While he won’t be the same player as he was during his time with the Canadiens or even the Golden Knights, he still has a powerful shot to boot where he can provide an offensive impact.
The Maple Leafs need secondary scoring and Pacioretty can bring the firepower.
