In a surprising turn of events, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving has announced that veteran winger Max Pacioretty will be attending Toronto’s training camp on a pro tryout, with the expectation of him making the roster for the upcoming regular season. Treliving expressed his confidence in Pacioretty during an impromptu meeting with the media at the team’s rookie camp, stating, “We’ll see where everything goes, but my expectation is he’s going to be with us.”
Pacioretty’s career has been slowed down by a series of Achilles tears, limiting him to just 91 games in the last three seasons. Despite these setbacks, he managed to score four goals in 47 games with the Washington Capitals last year. Treliving disclosed that the Leafs brought Pacioretty to Toronto about a month ago for a medical exam, where he demonstrated his willingness to prove himself by hitting the ice for the team to assess his current condition.
The winger didn’t make his season debut until January last year, as Treliving explained, “He feels that he’s had a couple of years here, two and a half years, where he really hasn’t had an opportunity to train. It’s been rehabbing.” However, with a full summer of focused training, Pacioretty is now seen as a strong candidate for a potential bounce-back season according to Treliving.
Before his injuries, Pacioretty was known for his consistency as a scorer in the NHL, boasting six 30-goal seasons. Now, at the age of 36, he is nearing the end of his career. Treliving acknowledged this fact, stating, “Sometimes we want to write everybody off once they hit 30,” with a chuckle. He went on to emphasize Pacioretty’s dedication to staying in peak physical condition and the amount of effort he has put into rehabilitating from his injuries.
As Treliving aptly put it, “The encouraging thing with Max is he keeps himself in really good condition. He’s had time to heal.” With these words of confidence from the Maple Leafs’ general manager, it seems that Pacioretty’s journey to redemption on the ice is just beginning.
