The Toronto Maple Leafs will have one offensive reinforcement return Wednesday and another possibly Saturday. Max Pacioretty was a full participant at Toronto Maple Leafs practice on Tuesday and is expected to return to the lineup when the club hosts the Minnesota Wild.
After practice, Pacioretty gave an update on his status by saying, “I’m 100 percent and just wanted to err on the side of caution.”
The left wing will play on the third line at practice alongside centered by Fraser Minten, with Nick Robertson on the right wing. Pacioretty was injured in a game against the Montreal Canadiens on January 18 when a puck struck his head in front of the net. The forward finished the game but would miss the next three games.
“It’s just one of those where, given the circumstances, it’s better to be smart right now and make sure that when I do return, I feel 100 percent,” Pacioretty said. “I think that’s kind of the goal and why they’ve put a lot of emphasis on, you know, those injuries and protection of the players. “I just wanted to get back to feeling confident. I feel confident right now.”
The 36-year-old has 25 goals and 25 assists in 78 career playoff games and should provide a good veteran presence this offseason. Pacioretty has five goals and seven assists in 32 games with Toronto this season.
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