Max Pacioretty James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Hurricanes grant pending free agent permission to speak with teams

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Mike Gould | Last updated 6/30/23

The Carolina Hurricanes granted forward Max Pacioretty permission to speak with interested teams as he approaches unrestricted free agency on July 1, Daily Faceoff‘s Frank Seravalli reported Friday.

Pacioretty, 34, missed all but five games of the 2022–23 season while dealing with a pair of Achilles tears. He initially tore his Achilles while training in the 2022 offseason, eventually returning to action with the Hurricanes in early January before sustaining a second tear later that month.

The Hurricanes originally acquired Pacioretty alongside defenseman Dylan Coghlan from the Vegas Golden Knights last July in exchange for future considerations. Pacioretty was entering the final season of the four-year, $7 million AAV contract he signed with the Golden Knights in 2018.

Pacioretty scored three goals in five games with the Hurricanes in 2022–23. According to Seravalli, Pacioretty is drawing “significant interest” from teams allowed to negotiate with him ahead of the UFA market opening on Saturday afternoon.

Sounds like there is significant interest in Max Pacioretty coming off a re-ruptured Achilles.

There’s been a lot percolating as teams indicated #LetsGoCanes have granted him permission to negotiate early elsewhere.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 30, 2023

The Montreal Canadiens originally selected Pacioretty in the first round (No. 22 overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft. The New Canaan, Conn. product made his NHL debut with the Canadiens in 2008–09 and emerged as a full-time NHLer with the club in 2011–12, scoring 33 goals and 65 points in 79 games that year.

Pacioretty reached or surpassed the 30-goal mark five times during his time with the Canadiens and was named team captain in 2015. He scored 11 points in 17 playoff games to help the Canadiens reach the Eastern Conference Final in 2014.

The Canadiens traded Pacioretty to the Golden Knights in 2018 in exchange for Nick Suzuki, Tomas Tatar and a 2019 second-round pick. Pacioretty dealt with injuries throughout his time with the Golden Knights but was productive when healthy, finishing with more points (51) than games played (48) in the shortened 2020–21 season.

Through 855 games over parts of 15 NHL seasons with the Canadiens, Golden Knights and Hurricanes, Pacioretty has racked up 326 goals and 645 points. He’s added 25 goals and 49 points in 74 additional playoff contests.

This article first appeared on Daily Faceoff and was syndicated with permission.

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