Bruins Brief: NHL Rookie Camps Begin; Pacioretty PTO

Good morning, my name is Andrew Fantucchio. It’s Thursday, September 12, and here are the top stories surrounding the Boston Bruins and from across the NHL today.

Rookie Camps Begin:

Hockey is officially back, with rookie camps starting across the NHL this week. The Boston Bruins were one of several teams who began camp yesterday, hosting a hoard of their prospects at Warrior Ice Arena before traveling to Buffalo to compete in the 2024 Prospects Challenge.

Among the Bruins’ young-ins is forward Riley Duran. The Providence College product may be a long shot to make Boston’s NHL roster, but he’s determined nonetheless.

Pacioretty Signs PTO In Toronto:

Max Pacioretty will most likely be remembered for his days wearing the bleu, blanc, and rouge of the Montreal Canadiens. However, it’s been seven years since Pacioretty played for the Habs, and now, entering his 17th NHL season, he may be lacing up his skates for their arch-rival.

Max Pacioretty will attend Maple Leafs training camp on a Professional Tryout (PTO) pic.twitter.com/8UgMNOV5Rk

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) September 11, 2024

Pacioretty, 35, signed a professional tryout contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday and will participate in the team’s training camp in hopes of earning a guaranteed contract this season. Last season, Pacioretty played in 47 games for the Washington Capitals after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, scoring 23 points with four goals.

Along with Pacioretty, the Maple Leafs also added defenseman Jani Hankanpaa on a one-year contract.

In other PTO news, forward Pierre-Eduoard Bellemare is back with the Colorado Avalanche, while Kailer Yamamoto is getting a shot with the Utah Hockey Club. According to reports, former Bruins forward James van Riemsdyk is expected to sign a PTO before training camp begins.

Is The Cost Of Winning In The NHL Unequal?

The purpose of the NHL’s salary cap is to keep every team on a level financial playing field. Teams can spend up to $88 million and not a penny more, but for some teams, that money goes a lot further.

More and more high-priced free agents are signing with teams located in cities and states with low-income taxes.

While there is an allure to playing for Original Six teams like the Bruins, Canadiens or New York Rangers or signing with the Los Angeles Kings in sunny SoCal, players are flocking to teams like the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, and Florida Panthers, affording them a different cost for winning.

More From National Hockey Now:

Colorado: As long as they have Nathan MacKinnon on their roster, the Colorado Avalanche will be a competitive team. But they still have a few reasons to be concerned.

New Jersey: Coming into the season needing to prove themselves once again, the New Jersey Devils have a lot of questions to answer.

Philadelphia: After suffering an injury last year, Rasmus Ristolainen was seen skating again as he aims to return to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Pittsburgh: The players still believe they can vie for a championship. The GM thinks it’s time to rebuild. The Pittsburgh Penguins are approaching a fork in the road.

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