Capitals bring in Pacioretty on 1-year deal

The Washington Capitals signed forward Max Pacioretty to a one-year deal with a $2-million cap hit plus an additional $2 million in performance-based incentives, the team announced Saturday.

"Max has proven to be a consistent goal scorer in his career and has the necessary skill set to play in every situation," general manager Brian MacLellan said. "We're confident that he'll be a great contributor to our team at a cap number that suits our club."

Pacioretty only suited up for five games with the Hurricanes this past season after tearing his Achilles tendon twice in five months. He made his 2022-23 debut on Jan. 5 after undergoing offseason surgery to repair the ailment but re-aggravated the issue two weeks later.

The winger was productive in his brief audition with Carolina, pitching in with three goals.

Pacioretty, 34, owns a career 326 goals and 319 assists in 855 career NHL games with the Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, and Hurricanes.

He said he won't be ready for the start of the new season, but he doesn't expect to miss too much time, according to the Hockey News' Sammi Silber.

He's eclipsed the 30-goal mark six times in his 15-year NHL career, most recently in 2019-20.