Maple Leafs Deal with Major Blow As One Of Their Top-Six Forwards Unexpectedly Gets Injured

It's been a tough season for this Toronto Maple Leafs winger, whose rhythm has been disrupted by a series of injuries. The veteran missed a number of games earlier this year with a lower-body problem.

Now the team's official PR account reports that Max Pacioretty is out again, this time with an unspecified upper-body injury, and won't skate on Monday.

Pacioretty has taken on a much more physical role at 36 in Toronto, more than tripling his hit totals from last year, but his latest injury doesn't appear to be about wear and tear. There are unconfirmed reports it may involve a puck-to-the-head issue.

After coming to the Maple Leafs on a professional tryout, Pacioretty earned a standard contract before the regular season.

His pact contains a variety of performance bonuses that have ballooned his $874,000 base salary to over $1.47 million. He's achieved one so far and is near another that could add $626,000 to his bank account.

Pacioretty has five goals and seven assists in 32 games this year, totaling 12 points. Tonight's game against the Lightning is an extremely important divisional battle as the months of the season roll on.

The Leafs and their fans are hopeful that Pacioretty won't miss too much time, and that the team will be able to pull together tonight and squeak out a win.