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Max Pacioretty 'leaning towards' Maple Leafs return following 'considerable interest' from Toronto: Reports

Modified Jun 09, 2025 15:50 GMT

Max Pacioretty turned out to be a very pleasant surprise for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.

Coming off of two torn achilles tendons in just over a year, it would have been well understood if the former Canadiens' star decided to hang up the skates.

Instead, Pacioretty worked his way back to play 47 games for the Washington Capitals in 2023-24, though his performance was not up to the standard he had previously set. When news broke that he signed a PTO with the Maple Leafs ahead of their season opener, not much was made of it.

However, Max Pacioretty wound up making a real impact in Toronto, particularly with his eight points (three goals, five assists) in 11 postseason games. The organization was certainly impressed, because it sounds like they've convinced him to continue playing.

Leafs reporter James Mirtle shared the news in an article for The Athletic, which he posted the link to on X (formerly Twitter).

"One piece of good news over the past few days is that UFA Max Pacioretty is leaning toward a return after the Leafs expressed considerable interest in keeping him following a terrific postseason, according to a league source," Mirtle wrote.

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Pacioretty is a pending UFA, having played out the lone season of his one-year, $873,770 contract with the Maple Leafs just prior to the 2024-25 campaign.

Max Pacioretty had been leaning towards retirement at season's end

It's been quite the turn of events for Max Pacioretty and the Maple Leafs over the last month.

The 36-year-old has battled through a multitude of injuries over the last several years, and the way he spoke during his end-of-season media availability led many to believe that was it for his playing career. Reporter Dave McCarthy shared those comments on X.

"This year was very difficult for me being away from my family, so I’m really excited to just get home and be with them and talk to them about what’s next in life. In terms of playing, that’s difficult to answer right now.” Pacioretty said.

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General manager Brad Treliving did a nice job of negotiating to change Max Pacioretty's mind on such short notice.

It remains to be seen what a potential contract extension will look like, though it's fair to expect it to come at a low cost and on a short-term basis.

About the author

Jackson Weber is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with a Bcomm degree in Business and Sport Management from the University of Guelph.

Jackson has grown up as a lifelong Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are his all-time favorite players. Watching the Penguins win the Stanley Cup three times is an experience that Jackson will never forget. Years later, you realize how rare it is to see your favorite team win even once, so three championships were just incredible.

When not watching, playing, or writing about sports, Jackson loves to cook and is passionate about health and nutrition.

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