Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving has officially cleared the air on the Max Pacioretty PTO, confirming one important detail that goes against previous reports.

It was recently revealed by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that while Max Pacioretty’s agreement in Toronto was only recently finalized, the Leafs and the veteran sniper were actually in communication for much of the summer, attempting to determine if there was a path forward for both sides. Friedman also confirmed that Pacioretty had been in Toronto in the middle of August, skating and working out at the Leafs’ facilities to allow staff and team doctors to get a good look at him and do their due diligence before committing to a deal.

Following the announcement of the PTO, additional reporting appeared to confirm that Pacioretty’s PTO would lead to a standard player contract with the team. While Brad Treliving confirmed that it is the team’s intention to bring Pacioretty on board after before the season begins, he was very careful not to over-commit, stating that he’s making no guarantees.

“My expectation is he’s going to be with us, but everyone has to earn their spot here.”
-Treliving on Max Pacioretty

Pacioretty joins the likes of Easton Cowan, Fraser Minten, Nick Robertson, Steven Lorentz, Nikita Grebenkin and others who are in pursuit of a roster spot with the Leafs on opening night. While Pacioretty is certainly the most experienced player on this list and probably does have the edge, Treliving’s “no guarantees” approach will really help to up the level of competition in training camp, ensuring that the organization will be icing the most competitive roster possible when camp concludes.

In my opinion, I think we do see Pacioretty in the opening night roster, but we also can’t rule out the possibility that someone else simply works harder and earns a roster spot either. With camp set to kick off this coming week, we should expect quite the battle for the limited spots available in the middle and at the bottom of the Leafs’ roster.