KANATA, Ont. — The Toronto Maple Leafs got some good news when it came to Noel Acciari on Saturday.
The forward was feeling better one day after he was forced to leave the game after taking a high hit from Carolina Hurricanes forward Jesse Puljujarvi.
"We’ll see where he’s at for practice (on Monday) but it was a positive day in the sense that he was working out, exercising, getting active and he hasn’t been diagnosed with a concussion or anything like that so positive news there," Keefe said of Acciari.
Acciari exited Friday's game for precautionary reasons, according to the Maple Leafs. Keefe added after the game that the forward was able to hand the belt over and address the team but that his inability to return to the game was "concerning."
The Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-4 in a shoutout on Saturday, without Acciari, who stayed back in Toronto. The club is scheduled to practice on Monday and that will give a clearer indication of how far along the forward is in his recovery.
Acciari was acquired from the St. Louis Blues along with forward Ryan O'Reilly in exchange for a collection of draft picks, which included Toronto's first-rounder in 2023.
The 31-year-old has three goals in 13 games with Toronto and is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
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