Max Pacioretty made a big announcement late on Monday. No, he didn't announce that he was getting a new puppy, nor did he announce that he was taking over Emmitt Smith's Las Vegas restaurant. Instead, the former Vegas Golden Knights is retiring from the NHL.
Pacioretty leaves behind a solid hockey career, scoring 335 goals and 346 assists in 17 seasons (939 games played). He spent four seasons (224 games played) with the Golden Knights, scoring 97 goals and 97 assists with the franchise. Last season, he scored five goals and eight assists in 37 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The winger is remembered mostly for his time with the Montreal Canadiens, where he served up goals like a side of poutine. Here, he scored 226 goals and 222 assists in 626 games played, making him one of the best modern goal-scoring options for Montreal.
But Pacioretty's Las Vegas legacy is a bit more... complicated. While he was a productive Golden Knight who provided goal scoring and a power play bite, there were many layers to his Sin City legacy. How, you ask? Well...
Why Max Pacioretty's legacy with the Vegas Golden Knights will forever be complicated
Max Pacioretty might've had the least desirable Vegas Golden Knights tenure of anybody in franchise history. He called out his former organization for "having no accountability" after being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. That led to fans turning on him and calling him all sorts of names.
But that's not the only complicated part of his tenure. The trade to Vegas itself also had an undesirable history. When the Golden Knights acquired Pacioretty for Tomas Tatar, then-prospect Nick Suzuki, and a second-round pick, the deal was seen as a win-win. You're getting a solid goal-scorer who can insert him atop the lineup, giving Vegas some punch...
...At least, that's what the thought process was. Last season, Suzuki scored a career-high 59 assists with the Canadiens and a career-high 89 points. Overall, the former first-round pick has 138 goals and 237 assists in six seasons (455 games), proving the trade was unsuccessful.
As for Tatar? He succeeded with the Canadiens, scoring 57 goals and 92 assists in three seasons (198 games). As if Suzuki's emergence wasn't enough, watching a former left winger become a solid contributor for Montreal stung even more.
A complicated Golden Knights legacy shouldn't take away from Pacioretty's hockey career
Despite having issues with the Golden Knights, that shouldn't take away from a solid tenure with Vegas. He was brought in to score goals and bolster the top-six forward groups. Lo and behold, Pacioretty did his job when called upon.
Granted, it hurt the team in the long run. That's especially true when you have a coach like Pete DeBoer who couldn't get over the hump. However, you can't deny that 97 goals and 97 assists in four seasons is a good run for a player's franchise tenure. He did everything possible to ensure his team got as far as they could, despite the limitations.
That's why I'm choosing to remember Pacioretty for the good that he contributed to the Golden Knights. You don't sustain a successful run without his presence, even if it means losing a top prospect who makes your team look foolish for trading them. With that, thank you for everything, Max Pacioretty.