Former Habs captain signs with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Breaking news out of the NHL as Max Pacioretty, the former captain of the Montreal Canadiens inks a new deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
According to Sportsnet, The Maple Leafs have signed the forward to a one-year contract worth $873,770, the team announced Monday. The deal also comes with games-played bonuses, which could reach $600,000 and would count against next year's cap, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported.
The 35-year-old joined the team for pre-season and training camp on a professional tryout contract (PTO) and picked up two goals and three assists in four games.
Max "Patches" Pacioretty will look to revamp his career in Leafs nation this upcoming season. Although the former Habs captain has been beaten down the past few seasons, he now has a golden opportunity to prove he's still got it in one of the largest hockey markets in the NHL.
Patches has also suffered some nasty injuries the past few years. After fully tearing his ACL, he struggled to be the star player he once was. Last year with the Washington Capitals, Pacioretty notched 4 goals and tallied 19 assists, in just 47 regular season games. Despite not being the prolific goal scorer he once was with the Montreal Canadiens, he's still fully capable of contributing offensively.
19 assists in 47 regular season games is nothing to scoff at. But, I firmly believe the Toronto Maple Leafs are giving Patches a shot due to his veteran experience. He's been known to be a solid locker room presence, and the Maple Leafs still have a relatively young core who could benefit from Pacioretty's guidance.
