Maple Leafs’ Max Pacioretty to miss next two games due to injury

Toronto Maple Leafs veteran left winger Max Pacioretty will not be in the lineup Saturday or Sunday due to an undisclosed injury, announced Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube per Arun Srinivasan of The Leafs Nation.

In his first season with the Maple Leafs, the 36-year-old native of New Canaan, Conn., has spent significant time on the sidelines, including a 10-game stretch through early December due to an upper-body ailment in addition to another three-game absence two weeks prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off break. In all, through 37 appearances with the Maple Leafs this season, Pacioretty has registered five goals and eight assists for 13 points coupled with 16 penalty minutes and a minus-two rating.

In early October, Pacioretty agreed to a one-year, $873,770 deal with the Maple Leafs following the 2023-24 campaign where in 47 outings with the Washington Capitals he notched four goals and 19 assists for 23 points. The well-traveled forward has undoubtedly battled injury challenges in recent seasons, having not played more than 50 games since the 2019-20 campaign while part of the Vegas Golden Knights.

Originally chosen 22nd overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2007 NHL Draft, Pacioretty has totaled 939 career contests counting stops with the Canadiens, Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, Capitals, and Maple Leafs in which he has tallied 335 goals and 346 assists for 681 points. Pacioretty has also added 25 goals and 25 assists for 50 points through 78 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

For the Maple Leafs, the club returns to the ice at home Saturday as it hosts the Hurricanes before traveling to Illinois on Sunday to take on the Chicago Blackhawks. On the season, the Maple Leafs sit 33-20-3 and three points back of the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers for top spot in the Atlantic Division.