Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Pacioretty will return to the lineup for Game 3 against the Ottawa Senators, head coach Craig Berube confirmed on Thursday.

The Leafs Nation’s Nick Alberga was first to report.

Pacioretty, 36, signed a professional tryout (PTO) with the Leafs back in the summer and turned it into a one-year contract after a strong preseason. He even scored the Maple Leafs’ first goal of the season against the New Jersey Devils, a humorous stat to say out loud, considering how long he was a member of the rival Montreal Canadiens. The veteran forward has battled issues with the injury bug on and off this season, having not played since February 8 against the Vancouver Canucks. He suffered an injury at practice, which sidelined him for the remainder of the season, but after using the final few months to recover and get his legs feeling fresh again, he’s set to rejoin the Leafs’ lineup for his playoff debut with the team.

Pacioretty is a solid performer in the playoffs, looking at his history, with 25 goals and 50 points in 74 playoff games for his career. He doesn’t have the same offensive touch that he used to, with five goals and 13 points in 37 regular season games for the team in 2024-25, but he seemed to understand that from the beginning. From the moment he entered the lineup, he tailored his game to feature a much more physical edge, laying the boom on a number of thunderous hits, including one on Jack Hughes in the second game of the season.

Berube had previously said that he would ‘probably’ stick with the Game 2 lineup, but declined to confirm anything as he was still mulling things over. With Pacioretty rested and ready to make an impact, the Leafs will look to keep their momentum going and pull ahead to a 3-0 series lead in Kanata on Thursday.