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Remembering a Former Golden Knight: Max Pacioretty

Max Pacioretty's time with the Vegas Golden Knights was... interesting. What did the former Montreal Canadien contribute to Vegas?

By Jacob Walters |
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Vegas Golden Knights v Calgary Flames / Derek Leung/GettyImages
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When the Vegas Golden Knights acquired Max Pacioretty from the Montreal Canadiens, the expectation was to bolster the offense. The Golden Knights had scoring depth, yet nobody stood out as a go-to scorer.

While Pacioretty wasn't anywhere near Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid, he was consistent. He had four straight seasons of 30 or more goals with Montreal and won the Masterton trophy in 2011-2012. Nothing could go wrong with the Connecticut native joining the Golden Knights, right?

Well, Max Pacioretty's legacy with the Vegas Golden Knights is rather... complicated. That is, compared to former Golden Knights like Deryk Engelland. While a drama-filled exit marred his tenure in Vegas, he was a productive forward. Here's a look at Pacioretty's time as a Golden Knight.

1. Vegas Origins

Vegas Golden Knights v Calgary Flames
Vegas Golden Knights v Calgary Flames / Derek Leung/GettyImages

On September 10, 2018, Montreal sent Max Pacioretty to the Vegas Golden Knights for center Nick Suzuki, winger Tomas Tatar, and a 2019 second-round draft pick. He got a four-year extension worth $28 million after, solidifying himself in Vegas.

In the cruelest twist of irony, Suzuki and the Canadiens met the Golden Knights in the 2021 Stanley Cup semifinals. The result? Montreal pulled off a massive upset, being Vegas in six games. Who led the charge? None other than Suzuki and his partner-in-crime, Cole Caufield.

2. Pacioretty's Stat Line

Los Angeles Kings v Vegas Golden Knights
Los Angeles Kings v Vegas Golden Knights / Ethan Miller/GettyImages

The good news about Max Pacioretty's Golden Knights tenure is he was productive. The former Michigan Wolverine scored 97 goals in four seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights. In fact, he was a bright spot on the power play, scoring 22 power play goals with Vegas.

One problem he had was his last season had a wave of injuries, mainly undisclosed. Pacioretty ended up playing only 39 games in 2021-2022, cutting his tenure short in Vegas.

3. Max Pacioretty's Work Now

Washington Capitals v Florida Panthers
Washington Capitals v Florida Panthers / Joel Auerbach/GettyImages

After his 2021-2022 season concluded, Max Pacioretty was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes with Dylan Coghlan for future considerations. The move acted as a salary dump, getting rid of his $7 million cap hit to get under the salary cap. This sparked some choice words from the former Wolverine.

Pacioretty called out the Vegas Golden Knights, accusing them of not "having accountability" when he joined the team. The forward attacked the relaxed atmosphere and compared it to a country club.

After going to Carolina, Pacioretty suffered an Achilles injury. He's now playing for the Washington Capitals, where he re-aggravated that same Achilles. It got to the point where he considered retirement, but he ultimately stuck it out. This season, the Connecticut native has three goals and 13 assists in 30 games.

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