Toronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz praised goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, whom he referred to as a “humble superstar.”
Lorentz previously played with Bobrovsky with the Florida Panthers, winning a Stanley Cup with him in 2024. While with the Panthers, Lorentz was known as Bobrovsky’s warm-up shooter, so he knows the goalie well.
Now that they are teammates again with the Maple Leafs after Bobrovsky signed a three-year, $21 million contract as a free agent, his former teammate with the Panthers and new teammate with the Maple Leafs, Lorentz, is extremely excited for his arrival.
Steven Lorentz Praises Sergei Bobrovsky
Speaking to TSN’s OverDrive, Lorentz praised Bobrovsky, whom he believes is one of the NHL’s “humble superstars.”
“He is just an expert planner. Everything he does is so meticulous with his pre-game routines. He is such a goalie. He is calm and a little quirky, but he puts the work in. He is one of the first guys in the gym. He is staying after practice for hours. He is just putting the work in and truly cares. He is one of the nicest, most humble superstars, you could say, out there. It was a pleasure getting to know him. Word on the street — as everyone knows — is that I got to be his warm-up shooter for the year. He is just such a calm and caring guy. He always made me feel like, even if I wasn’t in the lineup, I was still such a big part of that team,” Lorentz said (via Maple Leafs Hot Stove).
“I think that is why we had success in Florida. It didn’t matter what level you were on in the organization. Their top dogs or superstars made sure everybody was taken care of and felt like they had a place on the team. It is a privilege to have him for three years. I am just excited to get back to work with Bobby again. I’ll have to get back out there early before practices to shoot on him again, which I am more than happy to do.”
Maple Leafs Have a Legit No. 1 Goalie
Now that Bobrovsky is signed, the Maple Leafs have a legitimate No. 1 goalie for the first time in a long time.
While the Maple Leafs have had many talented goalies come through the organization in recent years, such as Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby, none of them were legit No. 1 goalies like Bobrovsky, who can carry a team to a championship, which he did twice with the Panthers as he backstopped Florida to two Stanley Cup victories.
Bobrovsky is also very durable and should be able to play in at least 50 games per season next year with Toronto. With the NHL schedule now going to 84 games, the Maple Leafs know they need someone who can shoulder the load, and that’s why they spent $7 million per season on Bobrovsky.
He might be turning 38 years old in September, but Bobrovsky is still a very solid addition to the Maple Leafs and could be the missing piece in their chase to win the cup.
Maple Leafs Forward Praises ‘Humble Superstar’ Sergei Bobrovsky