On the Montreal Canadiens and Max Pacioretty …
Amir Basu: Dennis Bernstein was on TSN 690 and said that Canadiens had agreed on a six-year contract, $48 million contract extension with Pacioretty but the discussions fell apart, and they were going to trade him to the LA Kings but that deal hadn’t been finalized.
Dennis Bernstein: (clarifying comments) “Intention was to sign Pacioretty to extension and then trade. As we’ve said consistently, no team was ever granted permission to talk to former or current agent at that time. At some point, things broke down.”
Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic: It may have been in the Canadiens best interest to trade Max Pacioretty, but it’s looking like GM Marc Bergevin isn’t the trade value for Pacrioetty that he had hoped.
From Pacioretty’s side of things, he may need to start realizing that the long-term, big contract he was hoping for may also not be out there – after the Kings situation that fell through. He turned down the opportunity to play with Anze Kopitar because he couldn’t come to terms.
So Pacioretty enters the last year of his deal, and if he’s still with them throughout the season, they could trade him at the deadline for “pennies on the dollar.”
Given their current roster makeup and direction they appear to be going in, it does make some sense to try to mend things with Pacioretty and sign him to a long-term deal. It’s well known they need centers and some help on the blue line, but they also need offense. Pacioretty has been saying for awhile that he wants to stay.
Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette: Pacioretty carries a $5 million salary entering the last year of his deal, and it’s not known if there have been any contract negotiations between new agent Allan Walsh and the Canadiens.
There were two failed attempted trades at the draft that fell through – one with the Kings because an extension couldn’t be agreed upon.
Logan Couture and Evander Kane reached big deals with the Sharks and Pacioretty has scored more goals since the lockout.
If the Canadiens are able to trade Pacioretty for No. 1 center, then would do it.
If they are in reset mode and not rebuild, do they look to re-sign him?