Montreal Canadiens: The odds that Max Pacioretty played his last game

With Max Pacioretty presumably out for the remainder of the season, is it possible that he has played his final game for the Montreal Canadiens?

Ahead of the Trade Deadline when the talk around Max Pacioretty was at its peak, fans thought that it would be Saturday, February 24th against the Tampa Bay Lightning. ‘That’ being the team captains final game in a Montreal Canadiens uniform. He was a name being thrown around up until the final minutes of the deadline, but when all was said and done, Pacioretty was still a Montreal Canadien.

He went on to have one of his best games of the season showing signs of a productive final stretch of this odd year. However, Pacioretty’s knee injury is another bump in the road for the 29-year-old. The only difference is that this bump is most likely going to keep him in the garage. Seeing as how there are nearly four and a half weeks left of the season, people have been putting two and two together. It’s widely accepted that Pacioretty won’t play another game this year.

Unfortunate, but there’s nothing anyone can do about it. The ‘last’ narrative has been taken to a deeper level though, has Pacioretty now played his final game in Montreal? Although the deadline is long gone, the trade speculation isn’t going anywhere. The offseason has always seemed like the more attractive time to move the captain based on the bigger deals that have happened then.

It could go either way really. Based on his comments after the Philadelphia game, it seems like he wants to stay and turn things around next season. On the other hand, analysts such as Darren Dreger and Pierre Lebrun have mentioned that the 29-year-old would still like to be moved. Additionally, other teams would be more than happy to jump at the chance of having Pacioretty for a full season instead of getting caught up in the buzz of next year’s deadline.

So, who are the takers? Marc Bergevin‘s price may not seem as extravagant in the offseason with roster restrictions not being as hard. The Los Angeles Kings have always seemed to be the top team in the race for Pacioretty, but the Florida Panthers have continued to be a dark horse in the sweepstakes.

The playoffs could help in getting additional teams involved. If a team can’t seem to buy a goal in the first or second round and it costs them a series, general managers may jump at the chance to add Pacioretty. Think back to the Chicago Blackhawks who were swept by the Nashville Predators in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Many pinpointed size and strength as one of the main factors that cost Chicago the series. In response to that, they traded for Brandon Saad over the offseason, who they believed to be a big part of their winning culture in the past, and added other players to make the roster stronger.

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That may not be the best example seeing as how the Blackhawks are currently on their way to missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008, but it goes to show that teams take post-season exits seriously. After the Stanely Cup is awarded in June, general managers could look around their locker room and believe that Pacioretty could be an answer. They would have to pay the price for him, but the odds of him being traded are just as high if not higher.

Although the team has promising pieces who have stepped up, Bergevin is going to do his best to ensure nothing like this season happens again. There’s no confirmation of this at all, but we can assume that this is his last chance. If moving Pacioretty adds the pieces the team needs to turn a corner, then it’s going to happen.

It’s disappointing that the final appearance may have come in March, but it was a game where he injured himself and still tried to play through it anyway. A game where his effort was there even though his signature production wasn’t. It’s going to be a fairly nerve-racking summer for the Habs. If this is the end of Pacioretty in Montreal, then it’s been a fun ride while it’s lasted.

If I were to set the odds, then a 60% chance of a Pacioretty trade sounds about right.

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Do you think Pacioretty played his last game with the Habs? Is there a chance he survives the offseason? Let us know in the comments.