General manager Marc Bergevin stepped up to the podium at the 43rd edition of the Habs' golf tournament and confirmed that the veteran winger requested to be traded at some point last season.
According to Bergevin, efforts to accommodate Pacioretty's request had been going on for quite some time before a trade was finally completed overnight on Sunday night.
He also indicated that a contract extension was never on the table for the now-former Canadiens captain, who still had one year remaining on his current deal with Montreal.
"Both parties agreed it was the best thing for him to move on," said Bergevin, who addressed the media at Club de golf Laval-sur-le-Lac. "If a player asks for a trade, there's a reason for that, and we accommodated the player."
In return for the 10-year NHL veteran and five-time 30-goal scorer, the Canadiens acquired forwards Tomas Tatar and Nick Suzuki, along with a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
For his part, Tatar is coming off his fourth straight 20-goal campaign. After being dealt from Detroit to Vegas at the trade deadline last season, though, he lit the lamp just four times in 20 regular-season outings down the stretch.
Bergevin, who expects Tatar to suit up for the CH, is eager to see if the change of scenery will help the 27-year-old Slovak get his scoring touch going again.
"I'm not going to deny that he didn't perform up to par in Vegas, but it was a short period of time. We hope that Tomas could come back," mentioned Bergevin. "We feel that he can help our power play. It's going to be up to him to perform."
Acquiring Suzuki's services, however, was of the utmost importance for Bergevin, who continues to place a premium on stocking the Canadiens' cupboards with young talent.
The Golden Knights' 13th overall selection in 2017, Suzuki has been a dominant force for the OHL's Owen Sound attack over the last two seasons.
He followed up a 96-point campaign (45 goals, 51 assists) in 2016-17 with a 100-point effort (42 goals, 58 assists) this past season, ranking as the fourth-leading point-getter in the League.
"Getting Nick, that was something that we really had to have," explained Bergevin, who classified the 19-year-old London, ON native as an 'A' prospect capable of playing both up the middle and on the wing. "He's got skill. He's a cerebral player. He thinks the game well. I know he's been playing the half-wall. He makes plays. He thinks offensively. That's what he brings, and he's got a skill set that made him the 13th pick overall."
And, Bergevin isn't ruling out the possibility of Suzuki sporting a Habs uniform as soon as this year.
"It's possible. He's going to come to camp. We're going to watch him closely. He could still go back to Owen Sound. That's a possibility, so we're not going to rush him," explained Bergevin. "We're open to see what he's going to bring when he comes to training camp."
As far as naming a new captain is concerned, Bergevin mentioned that he doesn't currently have a timeframe in mind.
