The NHL's regular season is around the corner and with everything starting on Tuesday with the exception of the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils who have played 2 regular season games already, most teams in the league are rounding out their rosters with opening night around the corner.
It was a little bit of a surprise when veteran forward Max Pacioretty was brought into camp on a professional tryout, however things seemed to have worked out between the two sides and according to The Leafs Nation's Nick Alberga, the Leafs are expected to sign Pacioretty at some point before the season to a one-year deal. An announcement could come as early tomorrow.
Pacioretty,35, has overcome a lot in recent years, struggling with injuries. Last year with the Washington Capitals, he saw action in 47 games, scoring 4 goals and adding 19 assists for a total of 23 points.
This would be nothing but a veteran presence add, and obviously based on his preseason Pacioretty has proved he can still be a valuable member to a contending team.
How much Pacioretty will play this season remains to be seen, but to be able to add someone of his calibre on a one year, most likely near league minimum deal is a low risk high reward situation.
It's obvious now that at some point the Toronto Maple Leafs will have to make some moves or have players go on long-term injured reserve in order to be able to make signing Max Pacioretty possible. However, they've shown in the past that they have no problem operating at or near the league salary cap on a regular basis during the regular season.
POLL | ||
Do you think signing Max Pacioretty is a good move for the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
Yes | 72 | 64.9 % |
No | 15 | 13.5 % |
It won't get done | 3 | 2.7 % |
He's too old to do much | 21 | 18.9 % |
List of polls |