After Hurricanes’ forward Max Pacioretty suffered an Achilles tear versus the Minnesota Wild Thursday, General Manager Don Waddell discussed the injury with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
“That was the most somber I’ve seen a locker room after a game we won,” Waddell said. “That was awful.”
Pacioretty’s injury took place with 19 seconds left in the game after he spent the past six months recovering from an Achilles tear during the offseason.
The Hurricanes’ future feels the impact of Pacioretty’s injury immediately. The talented scorer, whom the Hurricanes landed for nothing, brought a skillset the team desperately needed.
Beyond the emotional aspects of the injury, Waddell’s interview with LeBrun also confirmed that the team might need to fill Pacioretty’s void through a trade. However, the team remains in no rush to do so.
Thus, the Hurricanes find themselves in an odd position. They have a talented team but some holes to fill; can they address this hole without relying on rentals like they typically do?