Report: Pacioretty won't negotiate with any team once season begins

Max Pacioretty appears to have set a deadline on his contract negotiations.

The Montreal Canadiens forward will hold off all talks about a new deal once the regular season begins, sources told Sportsnet's Eric Engels on Wednesday.

Pacioretty, who is a pending unrestricted free agent, will abstain from negotiations not just with the Canadiens, but any other team, a source close to the player's camp told Engels, presumably taking into account the possibility of a trade.

He's entering the final campaign of the six-year, $27-million pact he inked with Montreal in 2012.

The Canadiens reportedly came close to trading Pacioretty at the draft, and general manager Marc Bergevin reportedly told the winger in July that the club would not negotiate an extension with him and was attempting to deal him as soon as possible.

Last week, Pacioretty told reporters at his charity golf tournament that there were no extension talks taking place with the Canadiens at the time.