Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube appears to be pushing for the team to sign Steven Lorentz after his PTO expired.
Lorentz scored his first goal of the Pre-season during the Leafs’ final game before the regular season on Saturday. It was a particuarly special moment for the Kitchener, Ontario native, who grew up as a fan of the team. He even went so far as to admit that he blacked out after scoring and called it a ‘pretty special feeling’.
Brad Treliving brought Lorentz to camp on a PTO after he played a small role for the Florida Panthers during their run to the Stanley Cup. Lorentz got into just 38 regular-season games with the Panthers, but he did participate in 16 playoff games and potted two goals and an assist. Leafs head coach Craig Berube appears to have been impressed with him, as this is what he had to say about his entire line after the pre-season finale.
‘They were great tonight. I know they got a goal, but just controlled the play and made it tough on the other team. That’s what we need. They’re a big line.’
At this point though, the Leafs roster remains in limbo. Reports suggest that Max Pacioretty will sign a deal with the Leafs, but that was expected to be announced on Sunday. That being said, many were expecting Treliving to sign both Lorentz and Pacioretty off their PTOs, so perhaps there is a reason both players are still currently unsigned.
With all of that being said, Lorentz has proven to be a perfectly capable fourth line winger. While he may not have been an every day player for the Panthers, that was a very deep team up front. He likely would have been an every day player for most teams in the league last season, including the Leafs.
Considering the fact that he is another player who grew up in the Toronto area, the fit just seems to be perfect. Hopefully, Brad Treliving agrees. Luckily for Lorentz, he appears to have his head coach on his side.
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