Moreover, in Pacioretty's case, it was three stints, totaling 82 games in the AHL before he was firmly entrenched in the Montreal lineup. The American forward took some time to find consistency in his game, but today he can say mission accomplished.
Sometimes a goal scorer takes time to develop and find his rhythm, but with patience, it can pay off big time.
Pacioretty may not be in the hearts of Habs fans, but you have to admit that he is a good hockey player with good offensive assets, including a phenomenal wrist shot.