Max Pacioretty is still an unrestricted free agent as the calendar has flipped into September. The 35-year-old winger is one of just two skaters to play games for the Washington Capitals last season still without a contract for the 2024-25 season.
However, according to recent reports, Pacioretty isn’t without potential suitors. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta linked the Toronto Maple Leafs to the veteran winger last week and now The Athletic’s Arthur Staple has added the Detroit Red Wings to the mix.
Pagnotta explicitly revealed that Pacioretty’s eventual contract would be a standard player’s contract, not a professional tryout agreement. Previously, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that Pacioretty was close to deciding his future team on August 23.
The veteran winger returned from two consecutive Achilles tendon surgeries last year and stayed healthy for the entire back half of the 2023-24 campaign with Washington. His contract with the Capitals was a one-year deal worth $2 million with an additional $2 million available in performance bonuses.
Pacioretty produced 23 points (4g, 19a) in 47 games for Washington, achieving all his games-played-based bonuses. His last big season in the NHL came during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign with the Vegas Golden Knights where he amassed 51 points (24g, 27a) in 48 games.
Toronto has 11 forwards under contract on their NHL roster with $1.275 million in projected cap space. Nicholas Robertson, the team’s third-line left winger for the majority of last season and current restricted free agent, requested a trade from the team earlier in the summer. Pacioretty could be a direct replacement for the much younger Robertson.
Detroit’s financial situation is far more cloudy as they still need to ink top young players Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, and Jonatan Berggren to extensions as all three are still RFAs. The Red Wings have over $17 million in cap space but much of that is expected to be soaked up by those three deals.
The Red Wings have already added Vladimir Tarasenko and Tyler Motte in free agency this summer after re-signing Patrick Kane and Christian Fischer. They’ve also signed Austin Watson to a professional tryout agreement.
There were also some rumblings about the Montreal Canadiens potentially seeking a reunion with Pacioretty, their former captain, but nothing further has been reported.
