Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving unveils the gameplan behind Max Pacioretty's signing
The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Max Pacioretty to a PTO earlier this week, and while fans may have been a bit puzzled, it's all going according to plan for GM Brad Treliving.
While Pacioretty has gone through a rough couple of seasons with Carolina and Washington, he is not far removed from averaging 24 goals in his 4 seasons with Vegas. While his tenure there didn't end on the highest note, there is no question his statistics speak for themselves.
So when Toronto signed the former Montreal Canadiens captain to a PTO earlier, it left people questioning if the Leafs should focus their attention elsewhere. Treliving tried to assuage those concerns when speaking to the media on September 12.
We brought Max in probably about a month or three weeks ago for a couple of days, and he was very open to not only going through a medical exam but also getting on the ice for us to see where he is at."
It seems like Pacioretty has been on Toronto's radar for the better part of a month, and for the last couple weeks rumors have swirled about Pacioretty signing a PTO. Treliving noted that this opportunity was different from previous years, as Pacioretty was more focused on being healthy and rehabbing as opposed to training as he normally would.
It's relieving to hear that Pacioretty is at the level where he can train as he would in previous years and be prepared to play in a full slate come October. His role on the team isn't necessarily determined yet but it's obvious he was brought in to bring some veteran leadership and a bit of scoring depth down the bottom of the lineup.
However, it doesn't seem like Pacioretty is going to be receiving a full-ride scholarship to the Maple Leafs though, as the GM was sure to mention that there are no freebies here and everyone needs to earn their spot.
It will definitely be exciting to see how Pacioretty will fit into the lineup, and it makes the heated rivalry between the Maple Leafs and Canadiens just a bit more special.
| POLL | ||
How many goals will Max Pacioretty score for Toronto? | ||
| 0-5 | 17 | 7.6 % |
| 6-10 | 41 | 18.3 % |
| 11-15 | 107 | 47.8 % |
| 20+ | 59 | 26.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
