Ahead of 2024 training camp, GM Brad Treliving discussed the addition of Max Pacioretty on a PTO, Jani Hakanpaa’s injury status, Nick Robertson signing in time for camp, and Easton Cowan’s push for an NHL job this fall.
What sort of role do you envision for Max Pacioretty?
Treliving: We will see. With Max, he is a veteran guy who has been beset by injuries in the last couple of years.
A little bit of background: We brought Max in probably about a month or three weeks ago for a couple of days, and he was very open to not only going through a medical exam but also getting on the ice for us to see where he is at.
He feels that he has had a couple of years—two and a half years—where he really hasn’t had an opportunity to train. It has been rehab. He came back last year and jumped in sort of halfway through the season. At the end of the year, he felt he wasn’t where he wanted to be physically.
He was able to have a full summer of training. We will see. Our expectation is that he is going to come in and give us more depth. All of that stuff is going to sort itself out in camp. I know we all get excited when we see guys added. What we are trying to do is make our roster as deep as possible.
There are going to be a lot of people pushing for jobs. Craig and his coaching staff will figure out where everybody fits and who they fit with. We just try to give them as many options as we possibly can.
We are excited to see Max and get him up to speed. We will get through camp and see how it all comes together. Hopefully, he can help us.
Is Pacioretty in a position to compete for a job, or is the expectation that he will be signed?
Treliving: Everyone is competing for a job, right? You have to go through camp. My expectation is that training camp for young guys is sometimes a little bit different than training camp for veteran guys. My expectation is to see where everything goes.
My expectation is that he is going to be with us, but everyone has to earn their spot here, whether that is on the roster or playing with who. It gives us a lot of different options.
To me, there is depth on that left side now. We have Nick [Robertson] done. He is pushing. One of our things coming into the summer was that we lost Bert, but there is more there for younger guys to take — Nick and Bobby [McMann], who we missed when he was out, and we add Max [Pacioretty] to the mix. We have Easton [Cowan], who is a kid who is going to be pushing. If you ask him, he is going to be pushing.
We don’t play for real for a month. It will sort itself out. The players are the ones who let you know where they all fit.
Pacioretty isn’t a spring chicken, but do you think the new surroundings and enthusiasm will make up for it?
Treliving: I know sometimes we want to write everybody off once they hit 30 or so. I must’ve been written off a long time ago. We will see.
To me, the encouraging thing about Max is that he keeps himself in really good condition. He has had time to heal, right? Those are significant injuries he has gone through. He has put a lot of time into getting himself healthy.
I don’t care what age you are; you need the summer to train and prepare for the season. It is hard when you are rehabbing. You are trying to get healthy versus trying to get yourself ready to compete. He certainly looks that way.
What is Jani Hakanpaa’s health situation coming off of the knee injury?
Treliving: Obviously, there was a little bit of a delay with Jani. We had Jani in town here earlier in the summer for a bit of time. Our performance staff went out there two or three times. It was him going through his rehab to the point where he and us feel confident. We will see how it goes.
There is certainly always risk with any person coming off of an injury. He has put in a lot of work. I think he had surgery and had a scope on his knee in March. He went through healing and then rehab, but he is doing well.
He is doing well, and now we will get our hands on him on an everyday basis. We will see where it goes.
Did you have your specialists look at Hakanpaa to get a final reading on it?
Treliving: Yeah, it has been a whole summer project. Our folks were over there a couple of times or three times. They spent time with him and the people he was rehabbing with. They were involved in that process. We brought him over here.
Now, we move forward.
Hakanpaa is the third defenseman you added to the defense. Can you talk about the rebuild you have done at the position?
Treliving: As I said, we tried to change up our defense. Bringing in Tanev — he brings a lot to the table, right? His strength is not just his checking and defending, but he can move pucks. Oliver [Ekman-Larsson] is the same way.
We have flexibility on the left and right sides. Jani, to me, specializes in penalty killing. There are other guys as well. We have tried to add depth to the team, right? Looking at it, we’re nine or 10 deep. And then we still have the young guys pushing.
I am excited to see how it all plays out. Craig and his staff have stuff up on the whiteboard, but until you get here and see who has chemistry with who…
It does give us a little bit of flexibility. There is a little bit of everything. We have puck moving. We have guys who can play the power play. We have guys who can play the penalty kill. We have lefties. We have righties.
It feels great in September. We will see where it goes from here.
And there is the cap situation as well.
Treliving: There is a cap and a bunch of considerations. We have a lot of players.
That was part of the process as we went through it. You are trying to add as much as you can. You are always tweaking during the year, but it might be a guy who comes up a month or two into the season and gives you depth.
There are a number of guys—both with the Leafs and Marlies—who give us lots of competition back there.
How did you sell Nick Robertson on the opportunity here?
Treliving: It is not a sell. A lot gets made of it. You’d have to ask him, but Nick has gone through some stuff here, right? Some of it has been injury-related, and sometimes, with young players, their game is still evolving.
I have a good relationship with Nick. We talked throughout the summer. You explain, “Here is the situation.” Everyone has to earn their stripes.
I like Nick. He shoots it in the net. You have to do other things, too. You have to round out your game. You have to be a complete player. But it is a fresh, clean slate with a new coach and a new opportunity.
In the last couple of days that he has been here, he’s excited. I am looking forward to seeing him.
What has stood out about Easton Cowan, and how has he shown so far in rookie camp?
Treliving: I don’t know if there is anything new. He is a competitive player. He has had a great summer. It was a short summer because he played late and started early with the Canadian junior team camp. I was down there in Plymouth in early August.
He is just competitive. A dog on a bone. Really good player.
He is a young player, too. You want to make sure you are putting him in a position to succeed and are not rushing the process.
He is excited to get going this week. He will be excited at camp. That is why you go through an exhibition and training camp. We will see where he is at very shortly here.
