
The Vegas Golden Knights traded left-winger Max Pacioretty and defenseman Dylan Coghlan to the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday for “future considerations” in a salary-clearing move. Check out the best bookmakers for betting on the NHL.
Pacioretty, a 33-year-old forward, had previously spent four seasons with the Golden Knights. Despite his long recovery due to a lower-body injury and wrist surgery, he scored 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists) in 39 games last season.
He began his career with the Montreal Canadiens and stayed there for 10 years before being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2019 in exchange for center Nick Suzuki, Tomas Tatar, and a second-round pick.
Pacioretty is regarded as a strong playmaker. In 850 regular-season games for the Canadiens and Golden Knights, the left-winger has 642 points (323 goals, 319 assists) and 49 points (25 goals, 24 assists) in 74 Stanley Cup Playoffs games.
The left winger’s contract with the Golden Knights has two years left on it, with a cap hit of $7 million per year, since he signed with them on September 10, 2018, and started playing in 2019.
The Knights saved $7.76 million in cap space in total with Pacioretty’s trade. According to CapFriendly, the team is currently sitting over the cap ceiling with $2.66 million and an estimated will be $82.5 million for the 2022-23 season.
As a fantastic power play player and a former captain, Paciorettyโs seasoned experience and leadership will reportedly benefit his new team. Therefore, Carolina Hurricanes are said to be excited to have him.
“Adding offensive firepower and improving our power play were priorities this offseason, and Max certainly checks those boxes,” Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell commented when asked about Paciorettyโs trade.
“This acquisition gives us an elite scorer and another veteran voice in our dressing room,” he added.
Meanwhile, the young right-handed defenseman, Coghlan, is in his third NHL season after appearing in 88 games last year. He ended up with 19 points (six goals, 13 assists).
Last season, he recorded 13 points (three goals and 10 assists) in 59 games after signing as a free agent on September 20, 2017. He previously spent two seasons with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. According to Waddell, Coghlan could be a good fit for their defense.
“Dylan is a young, right-shot defenseman who fits our system well,” Waddell stated. “We like his ability to take away time and space and play fast defensively.”
Pacioretty and Coghlan’s trade isn’t the Hurricanes’ first trade on Wednesday. They also acquired veteran defenseman Brent Burns and forward Lane Pederson from the San Jose Sharks hours earlier in exchange for forward Steven Lorentz, goaltender prospect Eetu Makiniemi, and a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
The Hurricanes also agreed to terms with Ondrej Kase on a one-year contract, letting Vincent Trocheck to join the New York Rangers in free agency. Nino Neiderreiter is anticipated to leave for free agency as well. Their departure is deemed “insignificant” since Carolina has one of the strongest lineups in the league and will be considerably more effective offensively with the signings of Pacioretty and Burns.
The Carolina Hurricanes appear to have enough ammunition to win the next season, especially since they have made the playoffs four years in a row after a nine-year absence. They have also won two division titles in the last two years, but no series championships since an unexpected run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2019.
In late May, the Hurricanes were defeated by the New York Rangers, capping off a postseason in which Carolina did not win a single road game in two seven-game series.
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