Maple Leafs' Pacioretty exits with apparent leg injury

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Max Pacioretty departed Saturday's game against the Montreal Canadiens with a lower-body injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

He appeared to favor his left leg after getting cross-checked by Mike Matheson near the end of the first period and didn't come out for the start of the second.

Pacioretty limped off the ice under his own power but had to be helped to the dressing room by teammates following the conclusion of the opening frame.

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube didn't have an update on Pacioretty's status after his team's 4-1 victory.

"We'll have to see how he is in a day or so," he said, per The Hockey News' David Alter.

Pacioretty had carved out a spot on Toronto's second line alongside John Tavares and William Nylander. He entered Saturday with two goals, four assists, and a team-leading 38 hits in 12 games.

The 35-year-old attended Maple Leafs training camp on a professional tryout before inking a one-year, $873,770 contract. He can earn an additional $626,230 in performance bonuses.

A 17-year NHL veteran, Pacioretty has battled multiple serious injuries in recent years, most notably tearing his Achilles twice in a five-month span from 2022-23.