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Every year, there are players who linger on the NHL Free Agency market who seek any opportunity they can get. Last year, one of those players was Max Pacioretty. The veteran forward sought a chance to make a roster and win a Stanley Cup. He signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and ended up making the team. However, he is once again unsigned late into free agency this summer.
Pacioretty certainly isn't the player he used to be. He only played 37 games this past season, scoring five goals and 13 points. In saying this, he did come up big in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He scored the game-winning goal in Game 6 against the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the playoffs, for example.
There are certainly reasons for him remaining on the market to this point. However, he has shown that he can adapt. He became more of a physical presence down the lineup. In fact, the 2024-25 campaign marked his first season with more than 100 hits since 2018-19, his first campaign with the Vegas Golden Knights.
There are teams out there who can use Pacioretty's services. He is a bottom-six depth piece at this point. But he's cheap depth, and that's something teams covet late in NHL Free Agency. With this in mind, here are two potential landing spots for Pacioretty before the 2025-26 season.
Maple Leafs reunion can't be ruled out
The Maple Leafs were the team to take a chance on Pacioretty. As a result, they are the team that knows this player the best. Toronto has made some other moves this summer. But there is an avenue where Pacioretty returns to the Maple Leafs in 2025 NHL Free Agency.
Toronto shuffled the deck among its forwards this summer. Mitch Marner, Ryan Reaves, and Pontus Holmberg all left this offseason. Coming into Toronto are Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, and Nicolas Roy. The Maple Leafs could still use a bit of scoring depth down the lineup.
Again, Max Pacioretty is not the player he used to be. However, he can still provide some goals down the lineup. If he can remain healthy, he could realistically score 10-15 goals. This is useful scoring depth for a team with Stanley Cup ambitions in 2026.
Red Wings could be fit for Max Pacioretty
Last summer, the Detroit Red Wings were one team that pursued Pacioretty. Eventually, he chose the Maple Leafs. However, there is something they saw in the veteran forward that could make him a useful player in 2025-26.
Detroit struggled hard with scoring depth in 2024-25. Only three player scored more than 25 goals this past season. Only five players scored more than 15 goals, as well. The Red Wings did make some signings to help address this. James van Riemsdyk and Mason Appleton joined in NHL Free Agency this summer. And they still have a ton of cap space to work with.
Pacioretty won't hit 25 goals unless he seriously turns the clock back. But he could certainly still chip in some offense in the Motor City. He could play with some of the team's young stars and help them along, as well.
The Red Wings would also appreciate his newfound physicality. Only four players in 2024-25 recorded more than 100 hits. Adding another player who is not afraid to get physical is something Detroit certainly needs. All in all, it's not a bad gamble for the Red Wings to make as they look to contend for the playoffs in 2025-26.
