Speaking with reporters, including David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, following their acquisition of Max Pacioretty on Monday, Golden Knights GM George McPhee provided some insight into how the process played out. While there was plenty of speculation about the winger moving back at the draft, McPhee indicated that they didn’t really get involved in pursuing Pacioretty until after that time.
He added that Montreal was hesitant to grant them a negotiation window to try to work out the contract extension but ultimately were granted a six-to-seven hour timeframe to work with. McPhee stated that the framework was agreed upon around one minute to the deadline and then they spent the hours following the trade to hammer out the details such as the year-to-year breakdown. Pacioretty ultimately inked a four-year, $28MM extension and is presently set to be the highest paid skater for the Golden Knights when the puck drops to start 2019-20.
More from the West:
- Coyotes unrestricted free agent winger Tye McGinn has signed a one-year deal with the Manitoba Moose, the Jets’ affiliate announced. Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe adds (Twitter link) that it wouldn’t be surprising if he winds up at training camp with Winnipeg on a PTO. McGinn was dealt from Tampa Bay to Arizona back in November but he spent the full season in the AHL, collecting 23 points in 55 games. The 28-year-old has 89 career NHL contests under his belt and could serve as a depth winger with the big club if injuries strike during the season.
- The Canucks have received trade interest in defenseman Chris Tanev recently but the offers have been rather weak, reports Jason Botchford of The Athletic (subscription required). Teams have expressed some concern about his ability to stay healthy over an entire season and it’s certainly justified. The 28-year-old has only reached the 70-game plateau once in his career and has missed 82 games (or the equivalent of one full season) over the last three years. Considering that track record, that’s going to be a factor in Vancouver’s trade talks involving Tanev between now and the end of his contract in 2020.