Max Pacioretty battled through injury as clutch, low-cost playoff performer once again

Have we seen the last of Max Pacioretty?

Already with an illustrious career under his belt, the former captain of the Montreal Canadiens made headlines last October when he signed a one-year, $873,770 contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, after signing on a professional tryout ahead of training camp. For many Habs and Leafs fans, it was a shock to see him in the blue and white, but at that price, he made for a solid depth addition to a team looking to build more strength beyond their Core Four.

His value to the Leafs was clear, if only for his strong postseason performance, playing only 37 regular season games as he dealt with injury once again. But through a tough year, he battled his way back to the ice, for what may have been the final time, as the 36-year-old hinted in his year-end media that he is thinking of retirement.

“This year was very difficult for me, being away from my family, so I’m really excited just to get home and be with them, and talk to them about what’s next in life,” Pacioretty said on May 20. “But in terms of playing, that’s difficult to answer right now.”

How the year went

Pacioretty came out of the gate hot in his first year with the Maple Leafs, scoring their first goal of the season in a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils, getting the team going after they were shutout in their season opener against the Montreal Canadiens.

With five goals and eight points through 37 games played, his 13-point total was the lowest of his career since his rookie year (excluding the 2022-23 season where he only played five games).

Unfortunately for Pacioretty, his injury troubles continued, as he suffered an undisclosed ailment during the 4 Nations break, missing the remainder of the regular season and the opening games of the playoffs. The veteran forward hasn’t played more than 50 games in a season since the 2019-20 season, but his continued return to the ice is a testament to his resilience.

Pacioretty re-joined the Leafs midway through their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators, and while he was held pointless through his first few efforts, he was one of the stars of the show in Game 6. Pacioretty assisted on Nylander’s goal early in the second to put the Leafs up 2-0, then found the game-winner in the third after the Senators managed to tie it, punching Toronto’s ticket to the second round.

He continued to show up for the team in their series against the Florida Panthers, putting up six points in seven games, including a power-play marker in Game 2’s 4-3 win (amidst Toronto’s second-round special teams woes), and an insurance marker in Game 6’s 2-0 win, keeping Florida at bay as they forced Game 7.

Overall, he finished his 11-game playoff run fourth on the team with eight points, with a 21.4% shooting percentage, the highest amongst Leafs forwards who played more than three games. He led the team with 61 hits, 14th amongst playoff skaters overall, bringing the kind of physicality that is much needed in the postseason.

His near point-per-game postseason performance stands out in particular on the Leafs in the context of his under 900k salary, making him arguably the team’s most valuable playoff player in comparison to his contract. Aside from maybe Matthew Knies, who was finishing up his rookie contract at 925k, but is on the verge of cashing in big. And while yes, players don’t technically get paid for playoff games, the point stands that he outperformed the cost of his acquisition when it mattered most on a team of players criticized for being overpaid and underperformed.

Say we look at a player’s salary as their postseason salary (because let’s be honest, nobody cares how the Leafs perform until springtime), here’s the price per playoff point of some of Toronto’s top skaters this year:

Pacioretty: $112,500/point

Matthew Knies: $132,142/point

William Nylander: $766,666/point

Mitch Marner: $838,564/point

Auston Matthews: $1,204,545/point

John Tavares: $1,571,428/point

It’s hard to beat that kind of value, especially from a 36-year-old.

Despite continued injuries difficulties, it’s clear that Pacioretty became an important player for the Leafs this postseason, stepping up for a team that has long searched for strong, low-cost depth pieces. If Pacioretty decides he has one more year in him, Treliving would be smart to take a look at bringing him back for a similar contract, to bridge the gap in Toronto’s upcoming roster shuffle. Regardless of his age, the veteran attacker has shown a crucial versatility in being able to play alongside a lot of different types of players, and for under a million a year it’s hard to find better value than that.

Statistical profile

Regular season

There’s not too much to say on the advanced stats for Max Pacioretty, other than his underlying numbers showing a slight improvement over last season, which is always something to boast for a player of his age. Pacioretty’s underlying numbers also don’t account for his physicality and playoff production, where he was arguably the only player in Toronto’s bottom six that provided any meaningful offence.

Playoffs

The significant improvement in his playoff numbers is the kind of thing Leafs fans have been begging to see from their players, showcasing the importance of his veteran presence on the team.

Select highlights

Pacioretty scores against the Devils for the Maple Leafs’ first goal of the season (October 10, 2024)