Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving unveils the gameplan behind Max Pacioretty’s signing but this would see him….
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.
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.
After a summer full of rumors following a trade request on July 1, Nicholas Robertson ended up re-signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs on a one-year deal. The path to re-signing with the team, however, was not as straightforward as many may have thought.
According to TSN insider Pierre LeBrun, Robertson came to his senses only after he had an honest conversation with his agent, Pat Brisson. LeBrun revealed the whole development while speaking on TSN’s “OverDrive” on September 12. As told by LeBrun, after months of waiting for a potential trade, Brisson told Robertson, “They tried to trade you all summer and I’ve tried to help them find you a team, and it’s just not out there.”
That led Robertson to “soften” his stance on the matter and accept the contract offer submitted by the Leafs worth $875,000 over one year.
This harsh dose of reality that led the 22-year-old to sign a rather team-friendly deal with the Leafs was a tough one to accept by the young forward, per LeBrun. However, Robertson’s limited NHL resume and an abundance of injury issues, paired with a lack of consistent playing time, made it tough for the Maple Leafs to find any takers for a trade. “There was just no market,” LeBrun said, adding that Robertson eventually understood that his best shot at proving himself would come in Toronto.
