Three teams reportedly in pursuit of NHL veteran Max Pacioretty

Max Pacioretty supposedly has received offers from three teams and he is about to make his decision known publicly very shortly, per a source.

NHL insider Frank Seravalli recently disclosed that Max Pacioretty has three offers in his hands, and he will pick one very shortly. It appears that these three teams are the San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens, and Buffalo Sabres.

The Montreal Canadiens are interested in Max Pacioretty for several reasons. First, Pacioretty is an established NHL veteran with a proven track record of scoring, which the Canadiens desperately need as they continue their rebuilding phase. It is important to note that the team did recently sign Patrik Laine to address some of that lack of scoring. Pacioretty served as the team’s captain for several years, so he would easily integrate back into the franchise. His leadership and experience would be perfect for mentoring the younger players and helping them navigate the pressures of playing in a hockey crazed market like Montreal.

Additionally, Pacioretty’s ability to contribute on both ends of the ice and the success he’s had in the playoffs would help the Habs become more competitive as they look to return to the postseason. With Montreal currently having a ton of cap space, bringing Pacioretty back would be a low-risk, high-reward move that could reignite both his career and the team.

The Buffalo Sabres are interested in Max Pacioretty because he brings the kind of veteran experience and scoring depth that can help push the team to the next level. Buffalo has a young, talented core that has shown promise, but adding a player like Pacioretty would provide leadership and a stabilizing presence in the locker room. Despite recent injuries, Pacioretty has shown he can still produce in the right situations, and a change of scenery on a rebuilding team like Buffalo could help his career.

The San Jose Sharks have an interest in Max Pacioretty because he would help their offense as a goal-scorer and as an experienced leader. Pacioretty can contribute on the power play, as he’s known to have a good shot from the slot, and can play in multiple roles across the lineup which would help address some of the scoring gaps that the Sharks have, as they have an atrocious bottom-six group. The Sharks have a lot of young players, so Pacioretty’s veteran presence would also be valuable for mentoring the younger players, similar to what he could do in both Buffalo and Montreal.

Max Pacioretty isn’t expected to command too much of a high salary, and the Sharks have a lot of cap space.

A decision is expected to come very shortly from the 2007 first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens. In his 902 career games, Max Pacioretty has scored 330 goals and gotten 338 assists for 668 points.