Max Pacioretty Leapfrogs Veteran Winger To Draw Back Into Lineup for Maple Leafs

When news broke that the Toronto Maple Leafs were interested in bringing in veteran forward Max Pacioretty on a PTO as training camps began, many were skeptical, while others remained cautiously optimistic that his presence would yield good things for a franchise struggling to see ultimate success.

With a hard-nosed coach in Craig Berube being hired and the idea that players need to earn their spot, Pacioretty has sat on the sidelines as a healthy scratch for the last two games. However, that will change on Monday night as the team prepares to host the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Arena.

The Maple Leafs, who sit tied for 26th in power play efficiency, may get a spark as Pacioretty was seen taking reps on the second unit. This may bode well for the team as Pacioretty has made his opinion known about the power play units less than five games into the season.

To make room for Pacioretty, the Maple Leafs are taking veteran Ryan Reaves out of the lineup. Tampa has been electric offensively to begin the season, and it would appear as though the Leafs are preparing for a firefight tonight.

Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, you have to give Berube credit for the way he's worked players into the lineup, making sure those who he feels have earned it get the chance to be there, while not necessarily crucifying those who he sits, but suggesting breaks are part of the process.

While results like Saturday night are bound to happen when they run into an incredibly hot goaltender, the coaching staff has continued to note what may need changing on a day-to-day basis and tweaking the lineup, which may result in positives.

The hard part of an 82-game season is that sometimes you have the chance to make changes in the game while other times you have a day or two to see what may work, but it seems like Berube isn't afraid to defer to his coaching staff as well as going back to the drawing board.

The National Hockey League season is a marathon, not a sprint. Making the necessary adjustments is just as important at mile marker three as it is towards the end of the race.