Maple Leafs’ Max Pacioretty leaves game vs. Blue Jackets with lower-body injury

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on social media that forward Max Pacioretty left Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets with a lower-body injury and would not return.

It’s unclear how Pacioretty suffered the injury, but his last shift was towards the end of the second period, as he did not come out for the third.

The Leafs would lose the game 6-2.

Pacioretty joined the Maple Leafs on a professional tryout (PTO), and after training camp, Toronto signed Pacioretty to a one-year, $873,770 contract.

Pacioretty has moved around the NHL in the last few seasons, but the injury bug followed him around during his time with the Carolina Hurricanes. A couple of severe injuries to his Achilles tendon led to him playing just five games with the Hurricanes during the 2022-23 season. He missed almost an entire year of action before returning last season with the Washington Capitals.

In 16 NHL seasons, during which he also played for the Montreal Canadiens and Vegas Golden Knights, Pacioretty has scored 330 goals and 668 points in 902 regular-season games with the Hurricanes, Capitals, Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens, the last of which he captained for several seasons. He has also appeared in 78 playoff games, mostly with the Habs and Golden Knights, and has amassed 50 points.

After Tuesday’s loss, the Maple Leafs hold a 4-3-0 record with eight points through their first seven games. They defeated their divisional rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-2 Monday night.

Both William Nylander and Mitch Marner lead the team with seven points, with Nylander having five goals and two assists and Marner recording one goal and six assists. Forward Max Domi also has six assists, while captain Auston Matthews, who won his third Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy last season, has three goals.