Hurricanes confirm serious injury for Max Pacioretty

The Hurricanes officially announced Max Pacioretty has torn his Achilles. Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer was the first to report that Pacioretty tore his right Achilles tendon, just two weeks after returning to action. It’s the same injury he suffered in August, and although no firm timeline has been released by the team, it will in all likelihood knock him out for the rest of the season.

While Pacioretty’s health and recovery will undoubtedly be the Hurricanes’ first priority here, this development does affect their roster-building plans for the rest of the season. The additional cap space afforded by a Pacioretty LTIR placement could have a significant impact on the rest of the team’s season and the trade market as a whole.

For Pacioretty, the priority will be getting his health back in a good place. The 34-year-old forward has played some of the best hockey of his career in recent years, but he has been limited to only sporadic availability due to injuries. With this bit of news, it’s clear he now faces another long recovery on his road back to the ice.

It is brutal news for a player who worked so hard to return, especially given how well he had fit into the Carolina lineup. Pacioretty had three goals in his first three games with the team, but he was also held out for two games recently due to a lower-body injury.

Even worse, his contract will expire at the end of this season, making him an unrestricted free agent. Another months-long rehab will be a difficult pill to swallow, with no guarantee of a financial or competitive future.

A player once known for his durability and consistency, Pacioretty has now played just 44 games since the start of 2021-22.