Earlier this week, reports surfaced about Toronto’s interest in free agent Max Pacioretty.
But Toronto isn’t the only team looking at him. Arthur Staple from The Athletic mentioned that the Red Wings are also considering adding the veteran player to their roster. Last season, Pacioretty played for Washington on a one-year deal worth $2M, with an additional $2M in bonuses tied to playing 20 games. Despite reaching that mark, his season was plagued by injuries as he recovered from his second Achilles tendon tear suffered during the 2022-23 season while with Carolina.
Pacioretty managed to play just 47 games last year and scored only four goals , though he did contribute 19 assists. This performance didn’t give him much leverage heading into free agency.
Red Wings’ Offseason Moves:
The Red Wings have been busy this summer. They re-signed Patrick Kane and Christian Fischer, added Vladimir Tarasenko and Tyler Motte, and signed Austin Watson to a PTO agreement. With still needing to re-sign Lucas Raymond, Jonatan Berggren, and Moritz Seider, it’s tough to see how Pacioretty fits into their plans.
Fans might think it’s smart for Detroit to view Pacioretty as a low-cost depth option rather than a full-time player. Given multiple teams’ interest in him, he likely won’t command more than the league minimum of $775K at this stage of free agency. Until Detroit finalizes contracts with their remaining RFAs and knows their financial situation better, it would be surprising if they committed any guaranteed contract to Pacioretty or other free agents.
What do you think about these potential moves?
