Maple Leafs Reporter Implies That One Veteran Leaf May Have Already Made the Cut
Sportsnet's Luke Fox has revealed that one Leafs veteran may already have made the cut for the Maple Leafs ahead of their season opener on October 9th.
Ontario native Steven Lorentz appears to be an ideal fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs, with a potential deal likely to follow his professional tryout (PTO).
As the offseason comes to a close, the Maple Leafs face numerous decisions regarding their lineup, including those concerning their two PTO players: Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz.
Lorentz chose to sign a PTO with the Maple Leafs despite receiving multiple offers from other teams. It's not surprising that multiple teams are interested in the hulking forward, especially after his experience with the Florida Panthers last season, winning a Stanley Cup. What is surprising, however, is Lorentz's decision to choose the Maple Leafs' offer as it was only a PTO rather than a confirmed contract.
According to Sportsnet's Luke Fox, Lorentz understands the type of player he needs to be to be effective in Toronto, which may have been part of the reasoning in his choice to try his luck with the Maple Leafs. Fox also believes Lorentz has already made the cut.
"To build a winning team, seeing what I saw last year, it's guys that bring what they do best, and it's not trying to go and do too much. You know, I'm not going to go out there and try to score 50 goals this year. We got guys on the roster that can do stuff like that."
What Lorentz vows to do is whatever coach Craig Berube asks. He already has a firm grasp of what that'll be.
"The simpler I play, the better. Just fly under the radar and do the right things on both sides of the puck."
"I'm not a guy who's just going to jump on the first offer and the most amount of money. I want to be in the right spot, a team that I believe is going to do well," Lorentz says.
Lorentz also discussed how his playing style aligns with the Maple Leafs and what it means to wear the iconic blue and white jersey:
"Just watching this team over the years, it's frustrating seeing the potential they have and then it just seems like they come up short. Which is unfortunate, because there's a little kid in me that still wants them to do well and hoist that Cup, right? So, it was a no-brainer when I came down here at the end of summer and did a little walk through the facilities."
Lorentz has had a strong camp so far, despite starting off sidelined with an injury. Last season, he was part of a shutdown line with the Panthers and played a crucial role during their playoff run to the Stanley Cup. He recorded 3 points in 38 regular season games and added another 3 points in 16 playoff games.
Often skating alongside fourth-line center David Kampf, it seems likely that Lorentz will sign a deal with the Maple Leafs. However, this will depend on moves to clear cap space, which will need to happen sooner rather than later, as the Maple Leafs' season opener is one week away, on Wednesday, October 9th, against their longest standing rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.
