The Toronto Maple Leafs recently signed former Florida Panthers center Steven Lorentz to a PTO, Sportsnet reported.
Considering that Lorentz is a fourth-liner at best, the question begs, “Why would the Toronto Maple Leafs take a chance on Steven Lorentz?”
The answer to this question is rooted in the Leafs Salary Cap structure. The Maple Leafs are pretty much against the cap. That situation means that cheap contracts are a must to fill out the roster. But with the Leafs stocked with a solid prospect pipeline, why take a chance on Lorentz?
The Leafs have various contracts that are too expensive. These contracts specifically reside in the bottom six, namely, Ryan Reeves, Calle Jarnkrok, and David Kampf. But it’s Kampf we’re going to focus on.
The Toronto Maple Leafs could have found David Kampf's replacement
We know that Kampf is a solid defensive forward. He’s unspectacular and mainly keeps opponents off the scoresheet. However, Kampf comes at a hefty price tag of $2.4 million per season, heading into the second year of a four-year deal.
That price tag is too high for a fourth-line defensive centre with zero offensive upside.
So, Lorentz could become a cheaper option. If Lorentz sticks with the team, the Leafs could ink him to a league-minimum deal. If he washes out, there’s no harm in giving him a shot. He could ultimately stick with the Marlies if all else fails.
Lorentz predominantly played a depth role for the Panthers last season. He saw action in 38 regular-season games, notching three points. Then, he played in 16 games during the Panthers’ playoff run, matching his regular-season point total.
In contrast, Kampf registered eight goals and 19 points in 78 games. Based on numbers alone, it’s reasonable to assume that Lorentz could match Kampf’s offensive production while providing a similar defensive value.
Now, here’s where things could get interesting. What if the Toronto Maple Leafs decided to keep both Kampf and Lorentz?
That scenario would make sense especially if the Leafs are considering Kampf as a third-line centre with Lorentz staying on the 4th line. While this is an option, the Leafs have had trouble with depth scoring virtually every year in the playoffs, and this would seem to be the exact opposite strategy they shoudl employe, due to Kampf being absolutely terrible offensively.
But there is one key reason why I think this arrangement could work: The Leafs are quite thin at centre. Beyond Auston Matthews, there are few options. Assuming John Tavares is the second-line pivot, who else is there behind them?
Max Domi was inneffective as a third-line centre. You'd think if the Leafs thought Nylander or Marner would be good centres that they would have tried them out there more by now. Meanwhile, prospects like Easton Cowan or Fraser Minten could get a good, long look this season. But they may not be ready for full-time duty just yet.
So, signing Lorentz on to potentially become the Toronto Maple Leafs fourth-line centre isn’t such a half-brained idea after all. In the worst of cases, Lorentz becomes insurance should injuries become an issue. As savvy hockey executives know, you can never have too much centre depth.