During the regular season, the Ontario native played a minimal role, often being a healthy scratch. He saw occasional time on the penalty kill and registered only one goal and two assists in 38 games.
Free agent center Steven Lorentz is anticipated to join the Maple Leafs on a professional tryout, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Lorentz, 28, remains without a contract more than two months into free agency after serving a depth role in the Panthers’ Stanley Cup victory last June. He appeared in 16 of their 24 playoff games, recording two goals and one assist while averaging just 7:07 of ice time per game.
During the regular season, the Ontario native played a minimal role, often being a healthy scratch. He saw occasional time on the penalty kill and registered only one goal and two assists in 38 games.
Last season was Lorentz’s first with Florida, following a trade from the Sharks that sent Anthony Duclair to San Jose. He is coming off a two-year, $2.1 million contract with San Jose, which he signed in 2022 after being acquired from the Hurricanes in the Brent Burns deal. This could potentially make Toronto his fourth team in four years.
At 6’4” and 205 lbs, Lorentz will aim to prove his worth in a depth role with the Leafs during training camp, likely hoping for a league-minimum, one-way contract. He hasn’t been assigned to the minors since before the COVID-19 pandemic, having played with Carolina’s AHL affiliate from 2017 to 2020.
The Leafs, with limited salary cap space, have room for a potential league-minimum addition like Lorentz. They currently have $1.275 million in projected cap space and two open roster spots, according to PuckPedia.
Over the past four seasons, Lorentz has played 230 NHL games, tallying 21 goals, 22 assists, and 43 points, with a -26 rating and an average ice time of 10:47 per game. He can play both center and left wing and has a respectable 48.7% faceoff win rate from nearly 1,100 draws.
Lorentz will compete for a spot on the Leafs’ opening night roster against more seasoned depth players like Alex Steeves and prospects such as Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten.
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