Max Pacioretty spotted at MedStar Capitals Iceplex for first time

August 30, 2023 5:01 pm

The Washington Capitals made two significant moves over the offseason: sign six-time, 30-goal scorer Max Pacioretty to a one-year contract and trade for defenseman Joel Edmundsson.

With training camp weeks away, both players have already arrived in the area and spotted at MedStar Capitals Iceplex.

Wednesday, the Capitals posted a photo of Pacioretty watching his kids skate at the team’s practice facility.

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Pacioretty appears to be sitting with his wife Katia, a former tennis player from Russia and the sister of Maxim Afinogenov, as they watch their sons do drills on the ice. Pacioretty has four sons and a daughter.

Pacioretty cited his family as a reason why he ended up signing with the Capitals during his introductory press conference with Caps media.

“I think there were opportunities out there where there’s a lot of unknowns, teams are signing guys and not knowing what’s gonna happen in February and maybe you flip it that way,” Pacioretty explained. “And then there’s some situations where teams are really up against the cap and there’s not much you can do there. I have five kids, my family’s the most important thing to me.”

The Caps social post of Pacioretty comes two days after the team posted a photo of Edmundsson and Nicklas Backstrom on the ice participating in the team’s informal practices ahead of camp.

While this is the first public photo of Pacioretty in DC, the 34-year-old left wings appears to have in DC for several weeks already. During the Capitals’ Media Game on August 22, Pacioretty’s locker stall was already set up and his gear was hanging from his locker.

Photo: Jess Rapfogel/Capitals

Pacioretty appears likely to start the season on the injured list as he recovers from a second Achilles tendon tear.

“I’m doing really well,” he said. “I’m very comfortable with where I’m at right now. I don’t think I’ll be ready for the start of the season, but it shouldn’t be too long after when I’m expected to come back and play.”

After tearing his Achilles tendon in the summer of 2022, Pacioretty played only five games last season before a second tear would prematurely end his season.

“I’m not sure of the exact timeline,” Spencer Carbery recently told NHL.com. “I don’t think he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season. But whether it’s in the November timeframe or December, whenever he’s healthy and ready to go, I think it gives us a great asset in Max to be able to, partway into the season, potentially give us a real jolt offensively in our top six, someone who can help us on the power play, someone who has proven time and time again that they can find ways to score, which is something that is coveted around the League.”

When Pacioretty does suit up, he will become only the second player in franchise history to wear number 67, joining former prospect Chris Brown (2015-2016).