Toronto Maple Leafs

Pacioretty Suffers Injury: First Signs Not Great for Maple Leafs

Max Pacioretty left the ice in discomfort Saturday. With a history of serious injuries, missing time could be a blow to the Maple Leafs.

by
Jim Parsons
November 9, 2024

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Pacioretty has suffered another setback, leaving the ice late in the first period of the game against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. Pacioretty appears to have suffered a leg injury as the 35-year-old forward fell to the ice in visible pain after being cross-checked in the back by Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson.

Pacioretty grabbed the back of his left thigh and was unable to put any weight on his leg, needing assistance from teammates Ryan Reaves and John Tavares to reach the dressing room. There is no update on his injury and it’s too soon to speculate on how much time he might miss, but early indications are this might not be minor.

Luke Fox reports, “The severity of Max Pacioretty’s lower-body injury won’t be known for a couple days, according to Berube. He needs further evaluation.”

Maple Leafs F Max Pacioretty will not return to tonight’s game (lower body).
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) November 10, 2024

The Maple Leafs’ PR department confirmed the injury midway through the second period, tweeting: “Maple Leafs F Max Pacioretty will not return to tonight’s game (lower body).” Early speculation suggests a potential hamstring injury. The scene of the veteran forward needing help to the locker room left fans and teammates concerned, especially given Pacioretty’s long road back from previous health issues.

Pacioretty’s Health Continues to Be a Concern

Pacioretty’s struggles with injuries have been well documented. Before signing with the Maple Leafs, he managed to play only 91 games over the past three seasons, dealing with consecutive Achilles tendon injuries. He joined Toronto on a professional tryout in September and eventually secured a one-year, $873,770 contract, impressing many with his resilience and performance. Some teams were leery of taking a risk on him due to his past health issues.

Max Pacioretty appears to have suffered a hamstring injury during the Maple Leafs vs. Canadiens game

For Leafs fans, this latest injury is a gut punch. Pacioretty had shown flashes of his old self, earning his way into the lineup as a regular. The Leafs will have to look at other options for their top six, the coaching staff may have to consider promoting prospects like Bobby McMann or Nick Robertson if Pacioretty misses significant time.

The hope is that the injury isn’t as severe as it appeared, but early signs do not look promising.

There is some good news on injuries for the team as Auston Matthews’ injury is not said to be serious and he should be back soon. He skated on Saturday.

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