Steven Lorentz went from feel-good pickup to a name that suddenly looks vulnerable in Toronto.
That’s the reality for the Maple Leafs forward after a strong first season was followed by a quieter 2025-26, and the club’s summer overhaul has only made his place in the lineup harder to pin down. Lorentz arrived on a PTO and turned it into a real job, carving out a fourth-line role in 2024-25 with the kind of straight-line energy and edge that quickly won over fans.
He delivered exactly what Toronto needed that year. In 80 games, Lorentz posted 19 points, finished at plus-6, piled up 199 hits and took only nine penalty minutes. He was a steady part of the penalty kill and brought a dose of toughness that fit neatly into the bottom six.
This offseason, though, the Leafs have crowded that same territory with bodies who do similar work.
Toronto brought in Nick Paul, Colton Sissons, Brandon Duhaime, Teddy Blueger, Jack Roslovic and Zack MacEwan, a group that fills out two bottom-six lines on its own. Add Dakota Joshua to the mix, plus AHL options like Bo Groulx, Jacob Quillan, Luke Haymes and Ryan Tverberg, and Lorentz’s lane starts to narrow fast.
The overlap is the problem. A lot of those players can offer some combination of offense, penalty killing, faceoff help, physical play and grit - the same ingredients Lorentz brings. Paul, in particular, checks a lot of those boxes and is trying to get back on track in Toronto.
That makes Lorentz the kind of player contenders could circle if the Leafs decide to move him. His contract, which carries a $1.35-million AAV through 2028, is affordable enough to draw interest, and dealing him would help Toronto trim its cap situation while opening up room for bigger moves.
It would also keep Dakota Joshua in the fold. The source of the logjam is clear enough: Joshua offers more offense with similar physicality, and he already has chemistry with Teddy Blueger, one of Toronto’s key summer additions.
There’s also the roster math to consider. Toronto currently has only three contract slots available for NHL or AHL signings, so every move matters. Clearing Lorentz would create flexibility and give the Leafs more breathing room as they sort out what comes next.
Lorentz earned his place the hard way and became a quick fan favourite after arriving with no real buzz. Now, with the roster shifting around him, he looks like one of the most obvious candidates to be caught in the squeeze.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Are Betting Big On One Risky Scott Laughton Fix
Scott Laughtons departure left Toronto with a familiar kind of offseason problem: a useful, versatile forward who did a lot of little things well, and no obvious one-for-one answer to replace him. Rather than chase a single clone, the Maple Leafs spread those responsibilities across a handful of new additions, betting that a deeper, more balanced group can recreate the defensive value Laughton brought while keeping the lineup flexible.
The real question is whether that patchwork solution can supply enough offense to make the tradeoff worthwhile. Toronto is counting on stronger play without the puck from the new group, but the scoring burden is uneven, with one player carrying most of the upside and the others projecting more as limited finishers. It is a reasonable plan on paper, but it also leaves the Leafs waiting to see whether committee chemistry can cover for the missing individual spark. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Face A Brutal Max Domi Cap Dilemma
Max Domis injury has put the Maple Leafs in an awkward spot before camp, with the club weighing whether to park him on long-term injured reserve for temporary salary-cap relief or explore a more permanent solution. LTIR would help Toronto get through the short term, but it also comes with a catch if Domi is able to return later, while a trade would clear the books more cleanly and give the team a better sense of where it stands.
The problem is that moving him is not simple, especially for a team already trying to squeeze every dollar out of its roster plan. Any deal would likely come at a cost, and Toronto would have to decide whether the price of doing business is worth the cap flexibility it gains. For a club that has spent plenty of time living on the margin, this is the kind of decision that can shape more than just the opening weeks of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Another No. 1 Pick Just Sent A Message To Gavin McKenna
Matthew Schaefer has only just finished his own ascent to the top of the draft board, but he is already offering a bit of perspective to the next player in line. The 2025 No. 1 overall pick and Calder Trophy winner recently spoke to Gavin McKenna as the 2026 No. 1 pick gets ready for his first NHL season, urging him to enjoy the moment, stay confident and keep developing with the teammates and coaches around him.
For Toronto fans, there is an added layer to the conversation, since McKennas arrival carries the weight that comes with playing in his hometown hockey market. Schaefers message was simple enough, but the timing makes it more interesting: the two top picks are set to see each other early in the season, giving both young stars a quick chance to measure where they stand and how far they still have to go. [Read more 🡒]