Max Pacioretty Placed on LTIR: Golden Knights Free Up Cap Space

Things continue to get worse for the Vegas Golden Knights. Star forward Max Pacioretty has been placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) for the Golden Knights. Pacioretty suffered a lower-body fracture early in the season and the move to LTIR means that he will be out a minimum of 24 days (ten games).

On the bright side, LTIR will provide the Golden Knights significant cap relief from Pacioretty’s $7 million cap-hit. The Golden Knights can now exceed the NHL salary cap and now have $12.4 million of cap space thank to LTIR players Pacioretty, Alex Tuch, and Jake Bischoff.

According to PuckPedia, the team has about $7.2 million in available cap space.

Previously, the Golden Knights were so cap-strapped that they were unable to call up any forwards from the minors for assistance. Now with Pacioretty’s injury update, the team has a more flexible cap situation but at a tough cost.

This may even allow the Golden Knights to search the NHL trade market for potential replacements.

The Golden Knights are without two of their top scorers in Pacioretty and Mark Stone early on in the season and it shows. Last night, the team was shut out by Ilya Sorokin and the New York Islanders. The Golden Knights are on a four-game losing streak as they prepare for the Colorado Avalanche Tuesday night. 

In his fourteen-year NHL career, Pacioretty has remained healthy. Entering this season, he only missed 24 games in his time with the Golden Knights. The Golden Knights have lost four games in a row, which is their longest streak under head coach Pete DeBoer.