Maple Leafs Make Brutal Decision Involving Max Pacioretty, Recall Fringe Defenseman
The Toronto Maple Leafs were forced to make a tough decision regarding forward Max Pacioretty and they also made another move involving the Toronto Marlies.
Max Pacioretty suffered an injury upon returning to practice during the 4 Nations Face-Off and he has had to miss all three of the Maple Leafs' games since that time.
On Wednesday, the forward returned to practice and there was a sense that he could be good to go on Friday against the New York Rangers.
Max Pacioretty on injured reserve
However, bad news has struck this morning just before the Leafs take to the ice for morning skate prior to tonight's tilt.
According to the team's Public Relations account on X, Pacioretty has regressed and has since been placed on injured reserved which means he can only return in the middle of next week.
Meanwhile, the team has recalled defenseman Marshall Rifai from the Toronto Marlies as he will be the extra D-man to replace Philippe Myers, who will take to the lineup to replace the injured Chris Tanev.
Max Pacioretty has struggled with injuries this season and has only played in a total of 37 games.
During those games, the veteran has managed five goals and 13 points which isn't a ton of production, especially for a guy who spends most of his time on the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander.
One has to wonder if Brad Treliving is feeling just a bit of buyer's remorse considering everything that Pacioretty has had to deal with this season.
As for tonight's game, the Leafs are on a three-game winning streak and fans are very happy with how this team has been playing so far this season.
A win against the Rangers would cement the team is a tour de force that has a real opportunity to win the Atlantic Division and make a deep postseason run.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 28 | 238 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Make Brutal Decision Involving Max Pacioretty, Recall Fringe Defenseman Do you believe Max Pacioretty was a mistake for the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| YES | 77 | 32.4 % |
| NO | 161 | 67.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
