Max Pacioretty signs one-year deal after missing an entire season.

Max Pacioretty is not going out like that.

After missing what was almost the entire 2022-23 regular season due to injury, Pacioretty entered the free agency pool today with every intention of making his comeback to the National Hockey League. Although it will remain to be seen what Pacioretty can still bring to the table on the ice, the Washington Capitals have agreed to sign him to a new one-year contract that is heavily incentivized with bonuses.

The deal carries an average annual value of $2 million but based on multiple reports it sounds like Pacioretty could earn himself an additional $2 million through those bonuses. I suspect most of those are related to his point production as well as his number of games played, and I suspect that Pacioretty will be striving to hit all of them.

Throughout his career Pacioretty has established himself as a proven goalscorer and he was continuing to do so with 3 goals in just 5 games for the Hurricanes before suffering the Achilles injury that ended his season prematurely. The Washington Capitals are hoping to see more of the same, and they have gotten Pacioretty at a great price if he can regain his form after such a serious injury.