Montreal Canadiens: The curious case of Max Pacioretty’s trade status
The Montreal Canadiens saw themselves in a situation where Max Pacioretty could’ve been traded, but the possibility of him being moved at all is in the air.
Max Pacioretty was one of the more buzz triggering names at the 2018 NHL Draft. He was a candidate to be moved back during this past season when it was clear the Montreal Canadiens were not making the playoffs. There were interested parties, but a trade never took place.
However, if there was ever a time to trade Pacioretty, the draft made the most sense. TSN’s Bob McKenzie shared a similar sentiment as he mentioned that the Habs would re-open efforts to trade the team captain at the event.
It seemed more likely as the days counted down to the draft. Ryan O’Reilly looked to be a top priority for the Montreal Canadiens as he’s established himself as one of the league’s best centres despite playing on poor teams for the majority of his career. The Buffalo Sabres weren’t going to give him away for free though, and the Habs third-overall pick may have been one of the desired pieces. But throwing in Pacioretty could’ve been an option as well.
Luckily Marc Bergevin didn’t go down that route, and Montreal used the pick to draft Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
But Buffalo wasn’t the only team buzzing around Pacioretty. The Los Angeles Kings had interest in acquiring the 29-year-old looking to add offence after a disappointing performance in the playoffs. If you watched the draft, there were some moments where the cameras would pan over to Bergevin and Kings GM Rob Blake talking. Was it a possibility? Yeah, but unfortunately one that was shut down.
Close But No Sniper
Pierre Lebrun revealed on TSN’s NHL Draft Wrap Up that there was a deal in place earlier in the week that would see Pacioretty traded to LA. However, he couldn’t work out a new contract with the Kings. This loosely links to the reports back to the reports at the beginning of the month that a sign-and-trade scenario could’ve taken place with Pacioretty.
Pacioretty to the Kings looks like a no-go now with Ilya Kovalchuk in the fold. The Kings announced that they signed the 35-year-old to a three-year $6.25 million contract. But what that also did was take another left-winger off of the market.
Confirmation tonight that the Kings will not pursue John Tavares, after signing Ilya Kovalchuk. They did take a long hard look at Max Pacioretty but couldn’t get a deal done.
— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) June 24, 2018
Kovalchuk is a virtually free acquisition as all it costs is cap space. The San Jose Sharks were another team interested in signing him, so they had to switch gears to Plan B.
There was a moment during Day 2 of the draft where it was going around that Pacioretty was being traded to the Sharks. San Jose has added some offence long-term in trading for and eventually extending Evander Kane. If Doug Wilson managed to get Pacioretty as well, there would be no way the Sharks get shutout at any point next season.
While everyone was frantically trying to figure out whether the trade was happening or not, the rumours were shut down by both Elliotte Friedman and Chris Johnston. The only change that came for Pacioretty was in agencies.
It was revealed afterwards that he and former agent Pat Brisson agreed to mutually part ways. There still hasn’t been an explanation for the decision. Perhaps Pacioretty was frustrated that a deal with the Kings couldn’t have been made. We’ll never know unless it gets out. Now Allan Walsh is Pacioretty’s guy.
The Next Step
Well, there may not be a ‘next step’ for a while. Teams’ focus has probably transitioned over to free agency. They’ll have their list of players who could possibly fit within their organization and cross-reference that with their salary cap situation.
Additionally, McKenzie’s tweet after the San Jose noise has calmed things down a bit.
MTL has nothing going on Max Pacioretty trade front. At this point, the plan is to keep him in the lineup. That could change but for now...c’est tout.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 23, 2018
That could very well change. The P.K. Subban for Shea Weber trade took place on June 29th, two days shy of Free Agency Frenzy. That was also the same day the Edmonton Oilers traded Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils. Moves can still take place.
But Pacioretty returning wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. In fact, it will work in favour of the Montreal Canadiens. Although the team looks to be focused on youth and speed, making the playoffs is most likely the goal. Having Pacioretty on the team helps you reach that mark.
His 17-goal performance is a clear outlier in a career filled to the brim with 30-goal seasons. The Habs will be a stronger team once Pacioretty gets back to that. It also re-opens the trade window if Bergevin is still set on moving him. It’s easy to sell prospective trade partners on him bouncing back, but seeing it would provide a true sense of reassurance.
Next: Should the Habs Trade Pacioretty?
It’ll be interesting to see how this story arc plays out for Pacioretty and the Montreal Canadiens. The flames of all these trade scenarios may be cooled for now, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them pick up at some point.