The Leafs have the ability to add one of the league's most efficient 5v5 goal scorers this summer
We are now officially one week out from the opening of this year's free agency window and as a result, we should see the rumours begin to pick up as teams look to fill out their rosters for next season.
This year's free agent class isn't the strongest one we've seen, but just because we don't have a number of stars who will be available to the highest bidder, there are still some impact players at all positions out there who can help improve teams. One such player is veteran winger Max Pacioretty.
The Leafs are in a position this summer where they'll have upwards of $14M in available cap space, which can reach approximately $19M if/when the Matt Murray trade or buyout occurs. Even with that being the case, they still may look at some of the bargain options, with Pacioretty likely being one of them.
Pacioretty is an interesting case. Yes, the health issues are obvious, but the skills are definitely there when he does play. With the Leafs, he'd have access to some of the best medical care in the league. He'd also have a large stage on which to showcase his skills and set himself up for a bigger deal next summer.
While Pacioretty appeared in just 5 games last season and 39 and 48 games in each of the previous seasons, he has still managed to score a combined 36 goals across those 92 games. As a 6-time 30-goal scorer and an 8-time 20-goal scorer, there's no question that he would give the Leafs another weapon both on the power play and at 5v5. In fact, Pacioretty was one of the top 3 most efficient 5v5 goal scorers in the entire NHL over the last 3 seasons.
The fit here is undeniable, especially if the Leafs can sign him to a 1-year "show me" deal, somewhere in the $1.5M range.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 24 | 562 ANSWERS The Leafs have the ability to add one of the league's most efficient 5v5 goal scorers this summer If the Leafs can get Max Pacioretty for under $2M this summer, should they sign him to a 1-year deal? | ||
| Yes | 323 | 57.5 % |
| No | 239 | 42.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
