The Toronto Maple Leafs placed veteran forward Steven Lorentz on waivers Thursday following a final practice before departing for Arizona, joining a wave of roster cuts as general manager John Chayka reshapes the bottom-six forward group ahead of the upcoming NHL season.
Steven Lorentz Hits the Waiver Wire Amid Bottom-Six Logjam
The decision to place Lorentz on waivers arrived as a mildly surprising development given his defensive reliability. Last season, the 30-year-old left winger led a credible Maple Leafs penalty kill in shorthanded ice time among forwards and handled demanding defensive assignments on the fourth line. In 71 games during the 2025–26 campaign, he recorded seven goals and 18 points while logging a career-high 11:52 of average ice time, alongside 154 hits and 48 blocked shots.
Yet offseason maneuvering under new general manager John Chayka left the bottom six crowded. Chayka brought in several forwards to fill bottom-six roles, including Nick Paul, Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime, and Jack Roslovic, while first-overall draft pick Gavin McKenna also pushes for an opening-night roster spot. Lorentz is signed through the 2027–28 season at a salary cap hit of $1.35 million. If he clears waivers on Friday, sending him to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League would reduce his cap hit against the team’s payroll.
Roster Flexibility and Zack MacEwen’s Physical Presence
Clearing Lorentz’s contract from the active roster addresses immediate financial and contract constraints. Entering training camp, the organization carried the maximum limit of 50 standard contracts. Loosening that crunch creates room for defenseman Nick Blankenburg, who joined the camp on a professional tryout agreement and requires a standard contract to join the opening-night roster.
At the same time, the coaching staff found what it needed in other physical depth options during the preseason. Zack MacEwen staked a strong claim for a fourth-line role during Wednesday’s preseason finale against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena, where he scored a goal and fought Hayden Hodgson.
“We like the physicality. I know he scored (Wednesday) night, but what was equally or probably more important to us was, there was some stuff going on, and he was able to get in there fairly quickly and do his job.”
Jim Hiller, head coach
Nick Paul’s Day-to-Day Status Precedes Opening Night
Head coach Jim Hiller addressed the media on Thursday regarding forward Nick Paul, whose availability for the September 29 regular-season opener against the Montreal Canadiens remains uncertain.
While Paul did not skate on Thursday, the team is adopting a cautious approach rather than expressing alarm. Both Paul and Dakota Joshua—who is working his way back from a core muscle injury—are scheduled to travel with the team for an off-ice bonding trip to Arizona.
“I’ll just say it like this. Obviously, he didn’t skate today. That’s nothing I think that we’re overly concerned about. But we have to take it day by day. That’s what I would leave it with.”
Jim Hiller, head coach
Waiver Transactions Across the Organization
Alongside Lorentz, the Maple Leafs placed a large group of players on waivers on Thursday, including Brendan Brisson, Vinni Lettieri, Philippe Myers, Michael Pezzetta, Marshall Rifai, Henrik Rybinski, and Ryan Tverberg. These moves follow a previous round of cuts on Wednesday that saw defensemen Dakota Mermis and Cole McWard placed on waivers before clearing successfully on Thursday to join the Marlies training camp.
