Talk about coming full circle!
The Toronto Maple Leafs made multiple additions to their roster during the offseason, among them being former Florida Panthers forward Steven Lorentz.
He was part of the Panthers squad of 2023-24 that brought the Stanley Cup to Sunrise for the first time in franchise history; he contributed two goals and an assist in 16 postseason games. Upon the conclusion of his contract, he agreed to a Professional Tryout with the Leafs, and was eventually given a one-year contract.
For Lorentz, it’s his way of coming full circle considering the accurate prediction that he made in his childhood school yearbook that not only would he play in the NHL, but would be suiting up for the Leafs, via The Leafs Nation.
“That was probably not the only yearbook I put that in,” Lorentz said. “That was definitely the goal my whole life. So to be able to be standing here right now in front of you guys is definitely special. I take a lot of pride in that, I don’t take it for granted.”
Meanwhile, Lorentz is happy to be with the Leafs and is hoping to use his championship experience to his advantage, especially for a club that has only one playoff series victory in the last 20 years.
“It’s just fresh, there’s a buzz around the team right now, and we’re happy with where we’re at as a group with a lot of potential,” Lorentz said. “It’s a stepping stone, just one game at a time. So teams like [the Rangers], and we’ll get some of the top teams in the league, it’s a good test for us to see where we’re at kind of a benchmark. We’re excited for the challenge and the opportunity.”
Lorentz and the Leafs are in action on Saturday night against the New York Rangers at home.
Steven Lorentz is in his first season with the Maple Leafs
Originally drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015, he began his NHL career by playing his first two seasons with the team before being traded to the San Jose Sharks as part of the deal that brought Brent Burns to Carolina.
Over 230 career NHL games, he has recorded 21 goals and 22 assists, with an additional two goals and four assists in 32 postseason appearances.
