Leafs Sign Pacioretty to Tryout with Contract Imminent

 

Photo From Maple Leafs Hot Stove

Yesterday, the Leafs were again in the news. Before I discuss the main story, the team first announced they had reworked Jani Hakanpaa’s contract. On July 1st, when the free agency window had opened, the team announced they had signed Jani to a two-year deal at $1.5 million a season. However, soon after the reported signing, rumours started circulating about Hakanpaa having a severe knee injury that could be career-ending. This rumour was reported by the Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons, who Leaf fans will know has a checkered past with stories about the Maple Leafs. It seems any concerns can be put to rest with Hakanpaa officially signing a one-year contract for $1.47 million.

Now, onto the main story: as you can tell from the headline, the Toronto Maple Leafs have also signed NHL veteran Max Pacioretty to a professional tryout. It was almost confirmed by Max’s agent, Alan Walsh, that they expect to sign a contract with the Leafs before the season begins. So, what will the Leafs be getting with Max on the roster? First, they likely won’t get the point production of days gone by when he would average a point per game, but I think the Leafs will gain some veteran leadership and someone to mentor the likes of Easton Cowen and Fraser Minten. Max can still put up points; last season, as a member of the Washington Capitals, he collected 23 points in 47 games.

There is, however, a concern when it comes to Pacioretty, and it’s simply his health. Max is 35 years old and has undoubtedly had a great career, but injuries have been an issue in recent seasons. Max has torn his Achilles on two occasions. In the 22-23 season, after just five games with the Carolina Hurricanes, Max suffered his second Achilles injury, with the first occurring the season before after 39 games with Vegas. I know some fans will be skeptical of this signing, but it is a low-risk, high-reward situation for the Leafs. When Max is signed to a contract, the salary is likely to be under one million dollars.

The question now for Toronto is how they will make the salary cap work. As I am writing this, the Toronto Maple Leafs are $1.07 million over the salary cap, so players will need to be waived or traded to become cap-compliant. It seems clear that Connor Timmins needs a new opportunity with a different team. With the addition of Hakanpaa, he’s likely to be playing most nights. So, if the Leafs can trade him, that will free up $1.1 million. Fans should also consider the possibility of Timothy Liljegren being moved. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to find his footing as a member of the Leafs and could benefit from a fresh start with a new team. I’m not saying something is imminent, but if Brad Treliving were to trade Liljegren, Toronto would free up $3 million this coming season and next. So, if those two defenders are traded, that could potentially free up $4.1 million for the 24-25 season. There are, however, options in the forward group as well. One possible name I could see traded is Connor Dewar, who carries a salary of $1.118 million. You will see Cowen and Minten battling to earn a spot this year, and if they impress, they will be chosen, as paying two players league minimum makes more sense than paying one player over $1 million. Another name I’ve seen mentioned as a possible trade candidate is Calle Jarnkrok. In my opinion, trading him makes no sense whatsoever. Calle is someone who can not only put up a decent number of points but also collected 21 points and ten goals last season. The season before, he registered 20 goals and 39 points. Most importantly, Calle is a crucial center for defensive zone faceoffs, whether on the penalty kill or late in a game.

One thing is for sure: we still have a long way to go before the regular season opens, so we are likely to see some interesting events unfold.

Thanks, as always, for reading.