All signs point to the Washington Capitals getting their marquee summer signing on the ice for a game within the next week.
Head coach Spencer Carbery revealed on Wednesday that Max Pacioretty could be ready to make his Capitals debut as soon as this weekend’s back-to-back games against the New York Islanders and Nashville Predators.
Pacioretty was a full participant at the team’s morning skate before their loss to the New York Rangers and has been skating in a normal practice jersey for over a week now. The 35-year-old winger is trying to make his way back into an NHL lineup after tearing the same Achilles tendon twice in the span of just five months last year.
The Capitals will practice on Thursday in New York before their Friday game against the Islanders before returning home to meet the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Carbery specifically highlighted the home matchup with the Preds in his post-skate media availability.
“[Pacioretty] getting real close, real close,” Carbery said. “I would say Patches is getting closer whether it’s in this weekend, home [against] Nashville. It’s right around the corner.”
Pacioretty has been involved in drills and practicing with the Capitals for over two weeks now. The six-time, 30-goal scorer has also been traveling with the team on all of their recent road trips to get more acquainted with teammates, coaches, and a game-day routine.
The Capitals currently have an open spot on their 23-man roster and cap space to fit his $2 million cap hit whenever Pacioretty is ready to be activated from long-term injured reserve. Pacioretty revealed in November that he had his own return date in mind, but declined to share that publicly.
“I do, personally,” he said. “Internally, I haven’t shared that with anyone other than my family. I’ve been through this before. It’s circled in pencil around a couple days where I want to be. Ultimately, that’s out of my control. I haven’t talked to the team about that but it’s something that would be pretty special to me.”
Notably, the Capitals will host Pacioretty’s former team, the Carolina Hurricanes, late next week. The veteran forward scored three goals for Carolina in just five games last season before tearing his Achilles again.
After that brutal end to the 2022-23 campaign, the Capitals signed Pacioretty to an incentive-laden, one-year contract this past summer. Pacioretty has the chance to earn an additional $2 million in performance bonuses if he plays in 20 games this season.
Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB
