Pacioretty ready for new challenge after 'surreal' signing with Leafs
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The Maple Leafs practiced at Ford Performance Centre on Monday.
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After attending training camp on a professional tryout, veteran winger Max Pacioretty officially signed with the Leafs on Monday.
"It means a lot," said Pacioretty, who will turn 36 next month. "It's just always surreal. You come in and you don't really know what to expect in terms of the group and fitting in and you kind of have those butterflies as to, you know, is it going to work? I'm just really excited to be here."
Pacioretty inked a one-year deal with a base salary of $873,770. The contract also includes an additional $626,230 in games played bonuses, per TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston.
After an injury-plagued stretch, including tearing his right Achilles twice, Pacioretty is out to prove he still has what it takes to contribute to a contending team.
"Training camp was unlike any one I've ever had," he said. "You're trying to use it to get into shape and get ready, but at the same time you're trying to impress people, so it was unique in that sense. It was a very hard camp in a good way, exactly what I needed to get up to speed."
After returning from his latest Achilles tear in January, Pacioretty scored four goals in 47 games with the Washington Capitals last season.
Pacioretty hasn't suited up in a season-opening game since 2021 when he was with the Vegas Golden Knights. He scored 12 goals in his first 11 games that year.
"I don't feel like I've been up to speed in a while now and I feel like I'm there now," he stressed. "Now I can kind of work on my game and fine tune the little areas of my game knowing that my legs are there and that I'm in shape."
Pacioretty skated on the third line beside Pontus Holmberg and Nick Robertson at Monday's practice. He's also expected to be a part of the second power-play unit.
"You don't just want to be along for the ride," Pacioretty said. "You want to contribute, and you want to help. I feel like there are ... some areas that I've played in my past that can help the team win and some new roles that can help the team win and it's a new challenge for me and I'm excited for that."
The former Canadiens captain will make his Leafs debut on Wednesday night in Montreal at the Bell Centre.
"It means a lot, because I'm going to see friends there and whatnot, but it's just another game of trying to get ready for a long season," he said. "I learned quickly in a market like this that you can never get too high or never get too low. The first game is going to be a good example of that."
His mindset?
"Try to set the tone for a season, but don't let my emotions get too high or too low."
Pacioretty's wife and kids were able to visit Toronto for a couple days during training camp, but will remain at the family home in Michigan for now.
"We made so many sacrifices to get to this point," the father of five said. "We're going to do the best we can to make sure we keep going in the right direction."
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Forward Steven Lorentz also signed a contract with the Leafs on Monday after attending training camp on a professional tryout.
"It was my dream to be a Leaf my whole life," the 28-year-old from Kitchener, Ont. said. "I got this passion from my dad. He was big Leafs fan. He's obviously over the moon ... I'm just excited for official Game 1 to be able to pull that jersey over."
Lorentz, who signed a one-year deal worth $775,000, recalled sneaking downstairs after bedtime to watch Leafs games with his dad as a kid. He describes signing with Toronto as almost a full-circle moment. It's also a big responsibility.
"It comes with a lot of expectations and there's a little more pressure," he acknowledged. "But I'm excited for the challenge."
Lorentz has been skating as the left winger on the fourth line beside David Kampf and Ryan Reaves.
On Saturday night, Lorentz called Reaves "a bowling ball out there."
What does Reaves see in Lorentz?
"A smaller bowling ball," Reaves said with a grin, "with a worse tan."
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With Pacioretty and Lorentz in, Bobby McMann will be the odd man out up front to start the season.
"There is more there," said head coach Craig Berube. "I know that. Bobby knows that."
McMann surged down the stretch last season with 13 goals in his final 30 games. Along the way the Wainwright, Alta. native signed a two-year contract extension worth $2.7-million.
"I felt that he was maybe a little hesitant at times," Berube said of the 6-foot-2, 215-pound winger. "He is a great skater with good size. He needs to be a power forward out there."
McMann, 28, is a late bloomer with only 66 NHL games on his resume. He will get his chance eventually.
"I am not too worried about it," Berube concluded.
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Calle Jarnkrok did not take part in practice due to a lingering lower-body injury.
"Timetable, I don't know right now," Berube said.
The veteran winger will start the season on long term injured reserve. Players on LTIR must miss 10 games and 24 days. The Leafs play 11 games in the first 24 days of the season.
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William Nylander is downplaying his short-lived run as a centre at training camp.
"It doesn't really matter," he said with a sigh and a smile. "It's such a big conversation, I guess, between you guys. For me, it doesn't matter, really."
Nylander started two pre-season games in the middle before going back to his usual right wing spot for Saturday's final exhibition game. He remained on the right side of Max Domi and John Tavares at Monday's practice.
Nylander also got a two-game look as a centre at last year's training camp. In his first media session this year, Nylander stressed that he would need a longer run for the experiment to have any chance of success.
"Position is no big deal," the 28-year-old insisted. "If you want me to play centre, I'll play centre. Maybe there might be a couple things that aren't perfect, but that's the way it would go."
Last week, Berube suggested that Nylander will continue working on faceoffs and centre positioning in case he's needed. Nylander made it clear on Monday that he would want a full practice before taking on the assignment in the future.
"If that were to happen, maybe if I was playing tomorrow, Chief would maybe say, 'Okay, we're going to give you a centre [look] today,' so I have a practice," Nylander noted. "At least I know a little bit more about what the position entails and the system and stuff."
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Nylander is featured in the new "Faceoff: Inside the NHL" show on Amazon Prime Video, but isn't particularly interested in watching his episode.
"Maybe at some point, but it's not like I'm planning to go home and watch it tonight," he said. "I don't like watching myself."
Nylander is hearing good things, though.
"Everybody's texted saying that they love the show," the Swede said.
Alex Nylander, who is rooming with his older brother this year while playing for the Toronto Marlies, offered a good review.
"He thought it was interesting to see all the players and all the different teams and how they were off the ice and on the ice, you know, and around the guys and stuff. So, he had fun watching it."
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Conor Timmins continues to skate on the third defence pair beside Simon Benoit. That means Timothy Liljegren, who had an underwhelming training camp after signing a two-year, $6-million extension in the summer, will start the season as a healthy scratch.
Philippe Myers, who played just five NHL games last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, will start the year with the Leafs. What was the key for the undrafted 27-year-old?
"Honestly, just a simple, physical game," the 6-foot-5 native of New Brunswick said. "Not overcomplicating things. Doing my job. Competing my ass off."
"Competitiveness is No. 1 for sure, and effort," said Berube. "I mean, he's a guy that competed hard in camp, in the games, in training camp and practices. You know, big guy, takes the body. He's got a good stick and [is] blocking shots, penalty killing, things like that. He impressed us."
Berube and general manager Brad Treliving value size on defence.
"They get in the way," Berube said with a laugh. "It is not all about size, but when you got size, it is hard to get around you, and they just get in the way. They cover things around your net. They have reach with their sticks. It is important because there are so many quick, dynamic players with size up front, too. You need that long reach to get in the way."
Myers and Liljegren skated as the fourth pair at Monday's practice.
Jani Hakanpää, who is Toronto's tallest defenceman at 6-foot-7, will start the season on LTIR as he continues to work his way back from a knee injury sustained in March.
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Myers sought out Reaves for fighting advice after practice wrapped up on Monday.
"I fought the other night against [Josh] Anderson and, not that I didn't know what I was doing, but I've never squared off in my life," Myers said. "So, I was just picking his brain about things like that in case I need to do it again."
The message from Reaves?
"Just using his strengths to his advantage," the veteran enforcer said. "He's tall. He's strong. He's got some good length on him. Every fighter has to use what they have and understand what they don't have."
Reaves gave Myers some insight on what to avoid when dropping the gloves.
"Things like turning your head," Reaves said. "You don't want to do that in a fight because you can't see what’s coming at you. So, you know, just the basic pointers. I'm sure we'll work on it a little bit more throughout the course of the season, but just an introduction course there."
Did Berube ever offer fighting advice to teammates during his playing days?
"Probably not," he said with a smile. "I was the guy doing it, so I really wasn't giving tips to anybody. It is not a bad thing. You learn to handle yourself. Myers has been a physical player in camp and really hard to play against. It is always good, if something happens, he's able to handle himself."
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Lines at Monday's Leafs practice:
Knies - Matthews - Marner
Domi - Tavares - Nylander
Pacioretty - Holmberg - Robertson
Lorentz - Kampf - Reaves
McMann, Dewar
Rielly - Tanev
Ekman-Larsson - McCabe
Benoit - Timmins
Myers - Liljegren
Hakanpää
Woll
Stolarz