Maple Leafs' Silence on Max Pacioretty Sparks Speculation After Marner's Move to Vegas
Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
We thought Max Pacioretty was going to be re-signed after both he and the Maple Leafs were interested, however the silence on the situation might be due to his part in Mitch Marner's departure.
Still one of the premier free agents on the market even at 35 years old, Max Pacioretty has been pondering whether or not to continue his career in Toronto, elsewhere or in general.
He seems like he wants to give it one more go, and the Maple Leafs could certainly use him on their bottom-six to add some veteran leadership, offense and a lot of physicality.
Toronto suddenly quiet on Max Pacioretty after Marner trade
But he still remains unsigned and since we heard reports that Pacioretty wanted to stick around and the Maple Leafs felt mutually; one has to wonder why he hasn't been locked up yet.
While it might not be certain, it could have something to do with Mitch Marner's departure. We saw that Ryan Reaves was in Marner's ear regarding moving to Vegas, so could Pacioretty have also been a factor?
He spent four years in Sin City, putting up some of the best numbers of his career and being able to stay relatively healthy, and even when he wasn't; when he played he made an impact.
Who better to know how the city and management operates than someone who spent years there? If Marner was talking about a move to Vegas for the last year as has been reported, Pacioretty would have certainly heard the rumblings.
Max Pacioretty's non-signing understandable, however
It can't be for certain if Pacioretty had any hand in making sure Marner left, but there could be another reason for his silence.
Pacioretty might just simply be enjoying life with his family, one he doesn't often get to see and is focused on making sure he's as physically and mentally prepared for the season as possible before committing.
The 35-year-old registered 13 points in 35 games (8 goals, 5 assists) but dealt with three separate injury stints during the regular season, including a nasty injury where he seemingly got tangled up innocently with Michael Matheson, but it cost him over a month.
So it's understandable he wants to make sure he's ready to go before signing, and very well could get another PTO offer before signing a deal.
He might just be waiting for the right time, and Pacioretty knows that Brad Treliving has to get some other business finished first before he entertains a new deal.
But the radio silence is indeed suspicious, and with how things unfolded in recent weeks show that maybe Toronto is hesitant to bring him back; regardless of his on-ice impact.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 13 | 2793 ANSWERS Maple Leafs' Silence on Max Pacioretty Sparks Speculation After Marner's Move to Vegas Do you think Max Pacioretty will re-sign with the Maple Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 1702 | 60.9 % |
| No | 1091 | 39.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
