While it might not compare to him retaining all three key free agents from the two-time champion Florida Panthers, the Toronto Maple Leafs were pleased to lock in him to a new three-year contract on Monday, avoiding the risk of losing him in free agency.
After leaving Florida last offseason, he joined Toronto on a professional tryout and parlayed that into a league-minimum one-year contract. He quickly became a valuable and high-energy presence on the Leafs’ fourth line — a dream for the Waterloo native, who grew up cheering for the team.
Now, he returns with a cap-friendly $1.35 million AAV after tying his career high with 19 points in 80 games.
“There was never a doubt I’d be back,” Lorentz said during a Zoom media availability. “I had a good talk with Tree (GM Brad Treliving), and we just made it work. I wanted the stability.” He acknowledged he might have earned more in free agency but prioritized staying in Toronto. “This is where I want to spend my whole career, wear the Leafs jersey, and play in front of friends and family. I wouldn’t want to go to battle with any other group.”
With his wedding coming up at the end of July, Lorentz is glad to have the deal done. “Now I can focus on getting ready for camp,” he said. “The identity of this team remains the same under Tree and coach Craig Berube — hard-working and aiming to be playing hockey next June.”
It’s been a hectic long weekend for the Leafs. On Sunday, they inked winger Matthew Knies to a six-year extension, acquired winger Matias Maccelli from Utah in a trade, and moved on from Mitch Marner, dealing him to Vegas, where he signed an eight-year, $96 million deal.
“Whoever got Mitch is getting a fantastic teammate,” Lorentz said. “His future is still very bright.”
Reflecting on his favorite moment of last season, Lorentz pointed to Game 1 of the playoffs against Ottawa. “The noise, the towels — I remember turning to Scott Laughton on the bench and saying, ‘This is sick.’ Every day here has been great — except when we got eliminated by Florida in Game 7.”
When asked about Panthers GM Zito managing to re-sign Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand, Lorentz called it impressive. “It’s not easy in the salary cap era. We gave them our best in the playoffs, and they’re a team we look up to. We didn’t back down, and now we’ll make adjustments to get over that hill.”
RFA Updates
Following Knies’ extension and the Marner trade, Toronto filed qualifying offers Monday to retain negotiating rights with their restricted free agents ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
Among those qualified: Knies (already signed), forward Nick Robertson, and goalie Dennis Hildeby. However, Pontus Holmberg was notably absent from the list. Despite spending the season in the lineup and earning praise from coach Berube, his arbitration eligibility may have complicated things. Treliving is expected to address all recent moves on Tuesday, and the team could revisit Holmberg’s status depending on interest from other clubs.
Other RFAs qualified include Marlies defencemen Topi Niemelä and William Villeneuve, as well as centre Roni Hirvonen, who will continue playing in Finland next season.
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