, Welcome to NHL Rumours! There have been more developments in Max Pacioretty‘s ongoing free agency saga. Last time, David Pagnotta reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs are heavily interested in the 35-year-old. Now, the second out of three interested teams has been named.
NHL Rumours: Original Six Team Interested In Former Captain
Rumour: According to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, the Detroit Red Wings are another team interested in Max Pacioretty. This deal would also involve a standard player contract similar to the one offered by the Maple Leafs.
Admittedly, Max Pacioretty is probably best labelled as a bit of a fixer-upper. The 35-year-old has struggled with injuries over the past few seasons, going through consecutive Achilles surgeries. Afterwards, he played 47 games for the Washington Capitals, putting up an underwhelming 23 points.
How He Slots Into Detroit’s Lineup
Admittedly, the Red Wings are in an interesting spot. The Original Six team is in the back half of a long rebuild that saw several major free-agent acquisitions.
If he can boost an already firepower-filled red wings powerplay, he could provide critical points for a team looking to make an appearance in the playoffs.
Pacioretty will likely slot into Detroit’s bottom six, occasionally serving on the special teams as a perimeter shooting forward. If everything goes according to plan and he plays around the 60-80 game range, he could have a good, productive season considering his underwhelming performance with Washington.
The only problem is that he may be unable to replace anyone full-time.
Unless he occasionally rotates out for Michael Rasmussen or Tyler Motte, he will likely play more of an advisory or locker-room role, considering his time serving as a captain and assistant captain.
Resume Booster
Max Pacioretty was named the captain of the Montreal Canadiens, another Original Six team, in the 2015-2016 season and kept the title until he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2018-2019 offseason for Nick Suzuki. He was named an assistant captain for the 2019-2020 season.
This experience leading two separate contending franchises in one of the hardest markets to play in is huge for any team looking for a veteran player. Considering he will most likely command a veteran’s minimum, he can serve a huge locker-room role alongside players like Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Dylan Larkin.
Overall
It is an exciting opportunity for Pacioretty and his camp.
Although Detroit isn’t the most attractive option for Stanley Cup contention-wise, it does give Pacioretty a chance to influence the roster in that direction. This also adds the red-hot start Detroit had at the beginning of the year.
MAIN PHOTO: © Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
