Recently, there’s been speculation that the Toronto Maple Leafs are eyeing veteran forward Max Pacioretty as their next addition. Pacioretty, a former captain of the Montreal Canadiens, is still considered a talented scorer despite his recent struggles with injuries. The Maple Leafs, however, are constrained by the salary cap, which has led some, like NHL insider David Pagnotta, to suggest that Toronto could make room by trading or waiving defenseman Conor Timmins.
Pagnotta argued that moving Timmins’ $1.1 million cap hit could free up the necessary space to bring in Pacioretty, giving the Maple Leafs an experienced winger to bolster their forward lineup. But is trading Timmins a good idea? Not at all. It’s quite an awful idea for several reasons.
While Pacioretty has been a top-tier scorer in the past, his recent injury woes are hard to ignore. Over the last two seasons, he has played just 47 games, tallying 19 points with the Washington Capitals in 2023-24. At 35, he’s not the player he used to be, and the risk of another injury is high. Betting on him to stay healthy while giving up a promising young defenseman like Timmins seems like a gamble the Maple Leafs don’t need to take, especially considering their limited cap space.