Player Profile: Max Pacioretty

Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images

Max “Patches” Pacioretty was born in New Canaan, Connecticut, on November 20th, 1988. His early years of hockey started with New Canaan High School and transitioned to the Taft Prep School, followed by a stint in the USHL with the Sioux City Musketeers. Pacioretty eventually transitioned to the Hamilton Bull Dogs, where he played three combined seasons outside of brief NHL appearances.

Max Pacioretty Drafted 22nd Overall

In 2007, the Montreal Canadiens drafted Max Pacioretty 22nd overall. Pacioretty was drafted as a large-framed winger with the offensive talent to be a top-six forward. Pacioretty signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Canadiens in 2008 with an AAV of 875k.

NHL.com

Pacioretty’s Debut Until Today

Pacioretty broke into the league in 2009 with the Montreal Canadiens. Throughout the next two seasons, Pacioretty played a mix of AHL and NHL time. In 2011, Pacioretty would be on the receiving end of a check that caused a lot of uproar. Zdeno Chara had checked Pacioretty into the stanchion at the end of the benches that used to be a corner, not rounded. This hit left Pacioretty out for the remainder of the season and Zdeno Chara under investigation by the Montreal Police Service; no, that is not a joke.

Max went on to be one of the fan favorites in Montreal throughout the next seven seasons. He signed a six-year, $27 million contract with Montreal in 2012 and, two years late, would become an Alternate Captain. After a year as an Alternate Captain, Pacioretty was voted by the team to become the 29th Captain in franchise history in 2015.

In September 2018, Pacioretty was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki, and a second-round pick. Following the trade, Pacioretty signed a four-year extension in Vegas worth #28 million. Patches had a relatively successful stay in Vegas as he helped the Golden Knights to the playoffs in three out of four years. In 2021-2022, Pacioretty only managed to play in 39 games. A broken wrist and foot kept him sidelined for most of the season.

After four seasons in Vegas, the cap crunch created casualties. Pacioretty and Dylan Coghlan were traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for future considerations in July 2022. Shortly after the trade, while training to prepare for the upcoming season, Pacioretty tore his Achilles tendon. He will miss approximately six months.

Pacioretty’s Contract Status

Pacioretty is in the final year of his contract with an AAV of $7m. With the recent injury history and lack of production because of it, it’s not unreasonable to say Pacioretty won’t get a significant extension this year.

Stanley Cup Aspirations Cue’ the Duck Boats Pod

The boys are back after a long break but have plenty to talk about as the playoffs are in full swing. We go series by series, looking at how teams have fared so far and who will come out on top. Thanks for listening! Please rate and review our show on your favorite listening platform. Check out our partner's website at www.insidetherink.com for all your latest hockey news.
  1. Stanley Cup Aspirations
  2. The Final Countdown
  3. Here Come the Playoffs
  4. Home Stretch
  5. Kevy Cooks

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Connor Green

Managing Editor | Inside the Rink

Leave a Reply

Edmonton Oilers Cup Final Defeat x2: Offseason Plans

When the Edmonton Oilers lost Game 7 last year, I was being a good sport and watching the entire Florida Panthers team raise the Stanley Cup. After Game 6 last week, I couldn’t take seeing the same team do it at our expense for the second time in a row. If you kept your TV […]

Read More
Philadelphia Flyers Acquire Trevor Zegras From Anaheim Ducks

Philadelphia Flyers Acquire Trevor Zegras From Anaheim Ducks

The Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly acquiring forward Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks.

Read More

Opinion: How Superstition Helped Fuel Florida’s Back-to-Back Championships

There are plenty of storylines that can come out of the playoffs, but by far the most unexpected one this year was the Dairy Queen Saga that followed the Panthers for the final two series. Born from a viral photo and some coaxing by Brad Marchand, there wasn’t a game day that went by where […]

Read More