Golden Knights roster review: Max Pacioretty

The Review-Journal presents its “Roster Review” series, which will examine in alphabetical order each Golden Knights player’s production and outlook. Saturday: Left wing Max Pacioretty.

Background

Max Pacioretty’s summer in 2018 was stressful.

The longtime Montreal Canadiens captain knew he was likely on the move. He just didn’t know when or where. So instead of returning to his native Connecticut for workouts — his typical offseason routine — he stayed in Montreal so he could be ready to pack up his life at a moment’s notice.

Pacioretty remained in place until the Knights traded for him Sept. 9. Training camp opened just four days later. Not a lot of time for Pacioretty or his family — which at the time included his three sons and pregnant wife — to adjust.

He finished with 22 points and 40 goals, subpar numbers for a player about to begin a four-year, $28 million contract. His playoff performance (11 points in seven games) was excellent. But more was needed.

Performance

A stress-free summer, by contrast, did wonders for Pacioretty’s game. He got back to his normal routine and focused more on hockey.

“Last year, I would rush out of the rink (in training camp) and either look at houses, check out the schools or go do whatever I had to do to make sure when my family came they were comfortable,” Pacioretty said before the season. “It’s nice I don’t have to deal with that pressure. At the time, you don’t think about if that takes a toll on you, but it probably does.”

He arrived at his second Knights training camp looking more like the player who had five 30-goal seasons in Montreal. Better, in fact.

Buoyed by a simpler offseason and a great wing partner in Mark Stone, Pacioretty has enjoyed a renaissance season. He’s scored a career-high 0.93 points per game. He leads the team in goals (32) and points (66).

His skating has been sharper. His shots have been crisper. His confidence has seemed limitless.

Take a shot from a March 3 game against the New Jersey Devils, for example. Early in the second period Pacioretty wound up a short-side wrister in transition from the top of the left circle against promising goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood. Shots from that distance and angle have roughly a 2 percent chance of going in the net, according to the website MoneyPuck.com.

Pacioretty scored. That’s the fearless sniper the Knights were hoping they acquired in 2018.

Goals like that are the reason Pacioretty represented the Knights at the 2020 All-Star Game. He and Stone became arguably the two most valuable forwards on the team.

Not bad for a guy adjusting to his surroundings a year ago.

Future

Pacioretty isn’t moving again anytime soon. He still has three seasons left on his contract that has a $7 million annual cap hit.

His charge is to prove this year is his new normal and not just an outlier. Since he’s by no means ancient at 31 years old, there’s reason to believe that could be the case.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.