Should the Arizona Coyotes target Max Pacioretty?
By Nick McAdam
Max Pacioretty continues to be shopped around by the Montreal Canadiens. Should John Chayka try to add the forward to the Arizona Coyotes’ lineup?
The dog days of summer have remained more intriguing than usual. At this point in time in other offseasons, nothing much would be happening in terms of trades or notable signings. This year, however, the rumor mill only seems to be collecting more steam as time slowly pushes ahead.
In another controversial management decision, Montreal general manager Marc Bergevin has reportedly decided to shop around the team’s captain in Pacioretty. Several sources including the Montreal Gazette have continued to add spark to the rumor, reporting the following:
"Bergevin wants to trade him as soon as possible. During his post-season news conference, Bergevin repeatedly said the main problem with the team was the attitude of the players. The Canadiens even had T-shirts made up with the slogan “ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING” that players wore during a four-day evaluation camp last month. Many believe Bergevin was targeting Patches with the attitude comments."
Montreal looks to be heading into a rebuild phase. The Pacioretty news comes just a summer after moving P.K. Subban to Nashville, while they also shipped Alex Galchenyuk to Arizona recently. Times are looking tough for the Habs, and one of the many meanings coming out of this is that the club is willing to sell.
A host of teams are likely eyeing the movement of Pacioretty at the moment. Included in those teams could be the Coyotes, who are still looking for more offensively and have a good amount of cap space remaining to make a move.
It’s almost obvious as to what Pacioretty could bring to Arizona’s lineup. Out of Montreal’s continuous scoring issues each season, the forward has still been able to amass respectable numbers. In 64 contests this past season, Pacioretty notched 17 goals and 20 assists which was just a tad off pace from his totals in the prior campaign.
Consistency has been key to Pacioretty’s stats. When playing a full 82 game campaign, the 29-year-old has been near or above the 30-goal mark; a total no player from Arizona came close to breaking in the recent season.
What doesn’t show on the stat columns is Pacioretty’s ability to lead a club. On that same note, the winger has some decent playoff experience. During his prime years, Pacioretty totaled five goals in each campaign when Montreal went deep into the playoffs.
There’s no doubt that Pacioretty is putting out a good value on the ice. It shows within his stats and consistency stays the same even as he rises up in age. The biggest factors that Chayka and the rest of the Coyotes will have to figure out is where to fit him in the lineup, the cap Pacioretty would fill and who to send back to Montreal.
With roughly $10 million left to spend, Arizona could surely fit Pacioretty’s total hit of $4.5 million into their budget. Plus, the American’s contract is set to expire after this season, thus making it a good run for Pacioretty to try and earn another contract after this upcoming season.
In terms of what to send back, Arizona isn’t packing much potential deep within the organization on the wing. This means that a younger player in the lineup would have to go back along with several draft picks. A player coming to mind is Lawson Crouse, but the reality of that remains to be determined as the value may not be there for the Canadiens.
With preferably a wing spot open after a potential trade, Pacioretty could then move up and down Rick Tocchet’s offense. Reuniting with Galchenyuk would be an option, while Pacioretty’s value on the power-play would hopefully remain in the desert.
As a soup of rumors continue to swirl around the news, the chances of Arizona executing a trade for Pacioretty seems pretty bleak.
The thought of it works on paper, but the cards would have to be played perfectly from Chayka’s hand.
Time will have to tell the rest of the story here. The chase for October once again remains, but some surprises from the desert might be on the horizon.
Next: Unpacking the Arizona Coyotes’ trade for Marian Hossa
What are your thoughts on a potential move from Arizona for Pacioretty? Is it realistic? Would the Coyotes benefit from the trade in the future? Let us know in the comments section below.