The Maple Leafs and Steven Lorentz have come to terms on a three-year extension carrying an annual salary cap hit of $1.35 million.
After winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers a few years ago, Lorentz came home in the summer on a PTO, made the linenup, and ended up playing in 80 games in the regular season. Quick to endear himself to fans with his passion for the team as a local boy, Lorentz proved a quality depth player and grinder in 2024-25.
Averaging 10:33 per night, Lorentz tied his career high with 19 points, including eight goals, five of which were game winners. Despite some of the heaviest defensive usage on the team, Lorentz won his minutes at five-on-five (24-20). For a 6’4 player who was 24th among all forwards in hits in the league, he only took two minor penalties.
Lorentz also took on penalty killing duties as the season went along, logging over 91 minutes in total on the penalty kill, as his 1:08 per game shorthanded was sixth among all Leafs forwards. If we level off his minutes played on the penalty kill with per 60 stats, he was only on for 6.57 goals per 60 minutes, which was actually the second lowest among all Leafs regular penalty killers (Calle Jarnkrok was first). While I’d stop short of suggesting he’s a high-end, top-unit type of penalty killer, he’s a quality second or third unit option who can hop the boards in the middle of a kill and bring high energy, size and strength to get in lanes, and the ability to win battles and clear pucks.
As is the case for most depth players, Lorentz’s play varied wildly depending on his linemates. It’s easy to forget now, but he started the season playing largely with Ryan Reaves. Reaves was actually Lorentz’s second-most-common forward linemate on the team last season (David Kampf was first). It’s possible neither of those players is on the team next season.
Away from Reaves, Lorentz posted positive possession numbers (roughly 179 minutes with Reaves, and 121 without him). He was skilled enough to make plays and contribute on the cycle with more skilled forwards like Nick Robertson or Scott Laughton, and he even earned a game on the top line due to his effort.
Lorentz is best suited in a fourth-line role, but the fourth line can vary with him on it. They could feasibly have Nick Robertson with him there to balance out the size and ask Lorentz to create space for Robertson, or he could simply provide a solid defensive zone checker with Laughton or someone else. All things considered, there’s at least some versatility. He’s not a completely one-dimensional player who can only play alongside a certain profile of player.
As far as fourth liners go, Lorentz is an appealing player, and it’s hard to really complain about him overall (the slight drawback is that if he were to fall off within the depth chart within the next few years, it’s not a completely buriable contract at $1.35 million). He’ll chip in a little offense, he can be trusted defensively, he is a decent penalty killer, and he is a big body who can skate and get involved physically. Ideally, he’d play a little meaner considering his size, but he checks a lot of boxes as a 12th forward.
The keyword there is “12th forward.” In the playoffs, the Leafs ran a checking line of Lorentz-Laughton-Jarnkrok as their third unit for long stretches, and it was simply not good enough. While the line was on for a few goals, none of the individual forwards scored a goal. It’s up to Brad Treliving and the management group to utilize their additional cap space to fill the forward spots higher up the lineup better so that Lorentz is the quality 12th forward he should be.
The signing gives the Leafs 12 NHL forwards under contract, and they still have $6.9 million in cap space to use. As we will continue to note, the forward count and cap space numbers include David Kampf for now.
There is still too much volatility overall in terms of who the Leafs will add in free agency/via trade, their own RFAs, etc., to say exactly how this will all come together. But Lorentz is a solid fourth liner at a good price and age (29). Keeping him in the fold always made sense, and now we wait to see what Treliving can add higher in the lineup.
