In a bustling NHL free agency period, it looks like Steven Lorentz and the Toronto Maple Leafs are sticking together. The team has locked in the 29-year-old forward with a three-year contract extension of $1.35 million, according to NHL Insider Chris Johnston.

After joining Toronto on a professional tryout, Lorentz made quite an impact, playing in 80 regular-season games during the 2024-25 season. His relentless energy and physical play quickly won over fans, and he matched his career high with 19 points—scoring eight goals and netting five game-winners—while averaging 10:33 of ice time each night.

Often used in defensive matchups and on the penalty kill, Lorentz racked up over 91 minutes of short-handed time, placing him sixth among Leafs forwards. His 6.57 goals against per 60 minutes on the penalty kill was the second-lowest among Toronto's key penalty killers.

He started the season playing on the fourth line with Ryan Reaves, but Lorentz came into his own and found his offensive game when he was paired with a player like Nick Robertson or Scott Laughton. Seeing an escape from Reaves, the possession numbers increased substantially, and he even had a DYLT game on the top line with Laughton listed as a forward to watch, according to Maple Leafs Hot Stove.

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While he may not climb much higher in the lineup, Lorentz offers Toronto valuable flexibility as a dependable 12th forward. His blend of size, defensive abilities, and penalty-killing capability enhances the team's philosophy of strengthening its bottom line without hurting the salary cap. Lorentz has appeared in 310 games in his NHL career and, among others, can be proud of his role in the Florida Panthers' 2024 Stanley Cup success.

Before his time with the Maple Leafs, he also suited up for the Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks, having been picked 186th overall by Carolina in the 2015 NHL Draft. He started his professional career in the ECHL with the Florida Everblades and later played 93 AHL games with the Charlotte Checkers.

With this new deal, Toronto has 12 NHL forwards locked in and about $6.9 million in cap space as they head into free agency. General manager Brad Treliving has the critical job of bolstering the top lines, especially after the Mitch Marner trade and the recent signing of Matias Maccelli.

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