NHL Rumors: Hurricanes' Sniper Nearing Season Debut

The Carolina Hurricanes are about to get even better as one of their forwards they've been missing all season is set to make his season and Hurricanes debut. Per Walt Ruff, Max Pacioretty is no longer in a non-contact jersey at practice and is getting closer to a return.

Pacioretty was traded to the Hurricanes this past offseason for almost nothing in order for the Vegas Golden Knights to clear cap space and be compliant for the season. He suffered a bad injury before the season started, but that hasn't stopped the Hurricanes from starting 23-6-6 and leading the division by six points. The team is also on a current nine-game win streak.

The 34-year-old Pacioretty had some injury trouble last season, only playing 39 games. But he scored 19 goals and 37 points. His scoring has not slowed down and he will be a welcomed addition to the Hurricanes lineup.

Pacioretty spent 10 years in Montreal before four years in Vegas. He has 323 goals and 624 points in 850 career games. It seems as though he has gotten better in his recent years when healthy and will fit somewhere on the left wing in the top-nine. Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov are playing in the top-six, so if one of them is going to be dropped down to the third, it isn't going to be Svechnikov. I could also see Pacioretty lining up on the third line beside Jordan Staal and Jesper Fast. Whichever way you look at it, the Hurricanes are about to be extremely deep at forward.