Maple Leafs Make Bold Move: Fringe Forward Replaces Veteran Max Pacioretty in Lineup

The Leafs have chosen not to dress Max Pacioretty tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes. Pacioretty, who has played in 29 games this season with Toronto, netting five goals and 12 points, is out of the team's lineup for tonight, with it unclear what led to Pacioretty's sudden absence.

Pacioretty has shown a lot of effort for Toronto this season, being willing to engage physically and less reliant on pure offence, something that was his calling card during his prime that made him a consistent top-six player.

In Toronto, Pacioretty has been in the top six thanks to high effort.

Max Pacioretty has been scratched for tonight's game against the Hurricanes, with forward Pontus Holmberg drawing in for Toronto.

Holmberg, 25, will play in his first game of 2025, having last played for the Leafs on Dec. 28th in a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals.

Holmberg has two goals and six points in 32 games this season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, a decrease in production after 17 points in 54 games last season, seemingly losing his place in Craig Berube's Toronto..

Also swapped out of the Leafs lineup was forward Ryan Reaves, with Nick Robertson drawing back in for the Leafs.

The addition of Robertson and subtraction of Reaves indicates a focus on offence in the Leafs lineup, with Robertson a solid bottom-six scoring option, having six goals and 10 points in 34 games this season with Toronto.

Leafs head coach Craig Berube said the move was meant to add a "little more speed" ahead of the team's game.

In adding a younger player in Holmberg, Berube appears to signal Max Pacioretty seems to be a player who, at 36 years old, may be kept away as an everyday player to ensure he stays fresh for a longer player without being worn out by the end of this season.