Maple Leafs place Steven Lorentz on waivers

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz will be placed on waivers Thursday afternoon, the team confirmed.

Lorentz was under contract through the 2027-28 season at a $1.35 million cap hit annually. The 30-year-old recorded seven goals and 18 points in 71 games during the 2025-26 campaign. Lorentz joined the Maple Leafs originally on a professional tryout agreement (PTO) for the 2024-25 campaign, then signed a three-year contract extension in June 2025.

It’s a bit of surprise, as Lorentz’s pace and aggression were considered assets to the Maple Leafs’ blue line. After a summer where general manager John Chayka emphasized a need for speed while overhauling the roster, Lorentz appeared to fit the team’s new vision.

“The best advice I got in Carolina from Rob Brind’Amour was never come into a camp just expecting to be on the team,” Lorentz told Daily Faceoff Toronto in a 1:1 interview, following practice on Monday. “No matter what your contract looks like, you always have to come in and fight for a job. So I think if you keep that mentality, it doesn’t matter if you’re in Year 1 or 2 or Year 6 or 7, you have to go in and earn your job in the lineup every single night. So that’s just what I’ve done. And it’s just one day at a time. And training camp’s a process. So I’m just going out playing my game.”

Lorentz will likely be an asset for an NHL team, looking for pace and Stanley Cup-winning pedigree within their bottom-six.

“We want to be a contending team that goes out and plays hard in your face every single night,” Lorentz said Monday. “You know, that starts at training camp right now. You can kind of feel that little more excitement coming into this year than maybe previous years. And like I said, there’s a lot of new faces, a lot of guys with things to prove.”

Toronto will begin its regular season on Tuesday, following a team excursion to Arizona over the weekend.