What Are the Toronto Maple Leafs Getting with Steven Lorentz? – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

As coaching camp attracts close to, the Toronto Maple Leafs don’t have a lot breaking information. There have been rumours that the Maple Leafs have prolonged an expert tryout (PTO) provide to 28-year-old Steven Lorentz. Nonetheless, solely this morning was there affirmation that Lorentz has accepted the provide.

Lorentz stands 6-foot-4 and weighs between 206 and 216 kilos (relying on the location you take a look at). He’s listed as a middle/left winger and shoots left. The Carolina Hurricanes picked him 186th general within the seventh spherical of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

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Lorentz has performed 230 regular-season and 32 playoff video games, totally on the fourth line for the Hurricanes, San Jose Sharks, and Florida Panthers. He averaged a excessive of 11:50 ice time per recreation for a woeful Sharks group in 2022-23 and most just lately noticed a mean of 8:47 per recreation in 32 regular-season video games and seven:07 per recreation in 16 playoff video games for the Stanley Cup-winning Panthers final season.

Lorentz Is Not Famous for His Offensive Energy, However He Can Rating

Whereas not famous for his offence, Lorentz did rating ten objectives in 80 video games for the Sharks in 2022-23. He scored only one objective within the common season for the Panthers and added two extra within the playoffs final season. When Lorentz was a junior, he scored 52 objectives over two seasons for the Peterborough Petes within the common season and added 11 objectives in 19 postseason video games. That will point out Lorentz does have some offensive expertise. [He missed playing with Nick Robertson for the Petes by a year. He left the season before Robertson joined the team.]

After all, for a participant his dimension, it’s pure to marvel how he makes use of that dimension and the way bodily a recreation he performs. Lorentz has 317 hits in 230 regular-season video games and 72 in 32 playoff video games. That works out to 1.4 hits per recreation within the common season and a couple of.3 hits per recreation within the postseason. If we have been to make use of Ryan Reaves as a measuring stick, Reaves has averaged 3.4 hits per recreation within the common season and 4.1 hits per recreation within the playoffs. If we have been to search for a comparability on the Maple Leafs for hits from a ahead, the closest can be John Tavares. Whereas he has been with Toronto, Tavares has averaged 1.1 hits per recreation within the common season and a couple of.3 hits per recreation within the postseason. 

Lorentz Is Huge, However He’s Not A lot for Combating

Whereas preventing is changing into much less related, it’s nonetheless a part of the sport. Lorentz has had however one struggle within the NHL. It was whereas he performed with the Hurricane within the 2021-22 season. Lorentz got here to the defence of his then-teammate Max Domi when it appeared Jacob Trouba delivered a excessive hit to Domi into the boards. The struggle was not a lot. Lorentz obtained in a single swing earlier than falling to the ice and held on as Trouba stored swinging.

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Because it was, replays confirmed that Domi misplaced an edge and was within the strategy of falling as Trouba was lining him up for the hit. Trouba didn’t obtain a penalty. The important thing right here for Lorentz was that he didn’t hesitate to leap in and get up for his teammate.  

Based on Hockey Fights, Lorentz had seven fights within the minor leagues over three seasons. The one one with a video of the battle once more confirmed Lorentz leaping in after a teammate took a nasty hit from an opponent. The results of the struggle was much like the one in Trouba. Lorentz obtained in just a few swings however then held on as his adversary, David Sklenicka, obtained in some pictures. Within the preventing division, it appears Lorentz receives an “A” for effort however a “D” for execution. 

It’s Powerful to Discover A lot Data About Lorentz

A seek for Lorentz’s highlights on YouTube doesn’t present a lot. We discovered three movies of objectives he scored that we might name “workmanlike” objectives. There was not a number of flash concerned. In wanting over Lorentz’s underlying stats on Pure Stat Trick, nothing jumped at us at 5-on-5. When he performed for a superb Panthers group final season, he was near 50% throughout the board within the common season however didn’t fare properly in his playoff minutes, hovering round 40%. 

One factor of word is that within the one season when he performed for the Sharks, Lorentz averaged over a minute a recreation on the penalty kill. That was the one season he was used a lot on the PK. 

There’s a Good Probability Lorentz Gained’t Be a Distinction-Maker for Toronto

We don’t see something in Lorentz’s previous that suggestions the scales in any method. Until he does one thing surprising in camp, or except the Maple Leafs endure accidents or resolve to maneuver a few of their backside six gamers, it will appear that Lorentz can be hard-pressed to make the roster come the beginning of the season. 

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[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]