Max Pacioretty will have surgery to repair a torn Achilles on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old forward was acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on July 13. Pacioretty is expected to need six months to recover.
“There’s never a good time to get injured, especially when you’re coming to a new place and getting into the swing of things,” Hurricanes defenseman Jacob Slavin told the News and Observer on Wednesday. “I know as a team we were looking forward to having him at the start of the year, as a great goal scorer, as a great player who was going to help us out. But hopefully, it’s a real quick recovery and he can be with us for the second half of the season.”
Pacioretty had 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists) in 39 games with Vegas last season, missing significant time due to a lower-body injury and wrist surgery.
Selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round (No. 22) of the 2007 NHL Draft, Pacioretty has 642 points (323 goals, 319 assists) in 850 games with the Canadiens and Golden Knights, and 49 points (25 goals, 24 assists). ) in 74 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
“There’s never a silver lining for something like this,” the Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns said. “There’s never a good time for it. I think it will be important for all of us to keep him involved and bring him along and make sure he feels good. It’s a long road and it’s not easy. None of us like to go through that stuff and it ain’t fun. It’s on everybody else here to make him feel good, or as good as you can, and keep him involved.”
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