Major Turnaround in Max Pacioretty's Injury Status: His Body Struggles to Sustain Craig Berube's Style of Play

PUBLICATION

Chris Gerics
November 11, 2024 (10:08)

SHARE THIS STORY

After initial reports that Max Pacioretty's injury wasn't too bad, a tragic turn of events has led NHL Insider Darren Dreger to report the injury is much worse.

During Saturday's game against the Montreal Canadiens, Maple Leafs' forward Max Pacioretty suffered what looked like a hamstring injury after getting tangled up with Montreal's Michael Matheson.

It was a scary scene that led to Tavares needing to be helped off the ice and did not return. Fans waited with bated breath that the veteran could avoid something serious and maybe it was just a bad cramp or a pulled muscle.

Well unfortunately for everyone involved, it seems to be a lot worse than anticipated. NHL Insider Darren Dreger, who appeared on TSN 1050's FirstUp radio show on Monday talked about the severity of the injury and boy, it's not good:

"Sad for Pacioretty, it's extensive," Dreger said. "Nobody's going to disclose the specifics of the injury. I think we could all see that he was grabbing the back of his leg, upper leg, right? When he went down on the ice, we saw him get helped off the ice. I think we'll hear more about that today."

Toronto has made it obvious the injury is not looking good, as their official PR account on X announced the team has placed Pacioretty on the IR and is currently listed as week-to-week:

It's clear they aren't going into specifics until they get all the answers, but it was definitely a sad chapter in a career marred by injuries. What was supposed to be a storybook comeback after two disheartening seasons, has now completely gone up in smoke, and Pacioretty deserves better.

What's The Deal With All The Injuries Lately?

It could be that Craig Berube's style of play contributed to it, as perhaps his body couldn't keep up; however, Pacioretty looked ten years younger this season and was doing what Berube needed, and he wasn't looking held back.

Pacioretty had been a revelation for the Maple Leafs this season, scoring six points, but doing so much more than scoring as he was part of the engine that drove Toronto's second line to so much success in recent games. He also led the team in hits before his injury, another huge loss to the Maple Leafs' game plan.

His return could alleviate some roster issues if Toronto were to place him on the IR. Auston Matthews is set to return potentially on Tuesday, so swapping Pacioretty for Matthews makes sense and gives Toronto a lot of firepower walking into Scotiabank Arena.

It's a really, really, sad conclusion to this season if this injury lasts for a while. As someone who didn't appreciate Pacioretty as much as I should have, the guy is a phenomenal player and human being. Let's all hope that he can bounce back yet again and it's not the final time he takes the ice.