Don’t look, Habs fans. The Toronto Maple Leafs are bringing in left winger Max Pacioretty on a one-year contract with an AAV of $873,770. Additionally, Steven Lorentz has signed for one year at an AAV of $775k.
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Pacioretty, the former Montreal Canadiens captain, spent last season with the Washington Capitals, where he missed most of the season recovering from a second Achilles tendon tear the season prior.
Lorentz is coming off of a Stanley Cup win last season with the Florida Panthers, joining Anthony Stolarz from last year’s championship team this year in Toronto.
Both players were with the Maple Leafs through training camp on PTOs.
Who is Max Pacioretty
Originally a 22nd overall pick of the Canadiens back in 2007, Pacioretty spent years in the 2010s as one of the league’s best scorers.
He dominated with four straight 30-goal seasons, including a career high 39 in 2013–14, putting him among the league’s best.
Within this stretch, heading into the 2015–16 season, Pacioretty was named the 29th captain of the Montreal Canadiens. He held that position until his trade to the Vegas Golden Knights in September 2018.
After spending a few seasons in Vegas, Pacioretty was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, where his long-standing injury problems continued.
Last season, Pacioretty signed with the Washington Capitals where he had four goals and 23 points in 47 games.
Who is Steven Lorentz?
Lorentz, drafted in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Hurricanes, has worked his way up to the NHL over the last decade all the way up from the ECHL.
He made his NHL debut in 2020–21 with the Hurricanes, where he recorded eight points in 45 games. After spending two seasons in Carolina, Lorentz joined the San Jose Sharks for one season in which he had a career best 10 goals and 19 points in 80 games.
As mentioned previously, he spent the most recent season with the Florida Panthers, helping guide them to a Stanley Cup.
Lorentz has made a name for himself as a gritty, grinding forward with physicality and energy. He has been a part of multiple league championship teams, having won the Stanley Cup already as well as a Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers.
Where will Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz fit with the Maple Leafs?
Max Pacioretty
At this stage in his career with the injury issues he has had, Pacioretty will be an interesting fit with the Maple Leafs. He does not seem suited to the top six, where he will be far slower than his linemates. His production has dipped significantly and he may find himself in more of a depth role.
As such, he is currently slotted in on the third line with Pontus Holmberg and Nick Robertson.
His defensive struggles indicate as well that he will be mostly useful in very specific circumstances in a niche role.
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There could be value in having him situationally jump up in the lineup to play with a playmaker who can try to reignite his once potent shot. But he won’t be creating anything on the rush.
Pacioretty should be a nice addition to the second powerplay unit, where he can wait around in the offensive zone for his chance to shoot.
Given his recent injury issues, it is very likely that Pacioretty struggles to even hit 41 games played on the year. In his tenure with the Capitals last season, he failed to stand out on a regular basis and had just four goals. He likely won’t move the needle in Toronto but the additional depth might be valuable in some situations.
Steven Lorentz
Steven Lorentz is a prototypical bottom line forward. He does not have much offensive upside, but he will utilize his size and speed to generate energy and momentum.
It appears that Lorentz will start the season on the bottom forward line with David Kampf and Ryan Reaves, and that seems to be where he will max out in this lineup.
With his skillset, he should also find himself becoming a regular option on the penalty kill.
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