The Toronto Maple Leafs were very disappointing during the 2025/26 season, and as a result, sweeping changes were made throughout the organization over the course of this off-season.
That includes a new General Manager, a new Head Coach and of course, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in Gavin McKenna, but beyond that, the team added several players such as Jack Roslovic, Darren Raddysh and Sergei Bobrovksy. As a result, there’s plenty of talent in Toronto once more, but with only so many roster spots to go around, the team have made a move on Thursday ahead of the new season.
Steven Lorentz Waived by the Toronto Maple Leafs
That move involves veteran Steven Lorentz, who came to the Maple Leafs ahead of the 2024/25 season, and in the following two campaigns, the forward played a key role in Toronto’s bottom-six.
However, with the additions the team made in the summer, there’s simply no room for him, and according to TSN’s Chris Johnston the team are now set to place him on waivers ahead of the regular season.
Lorentz has played 151 games with the Leafs in the last two seasons recording 37 points over that span.
That comes after playing in 151 games over the past two seasons, and while a 30-year-old veteran could no doubt fill a role for Toronto, with the players they added this summer, they simply don’t have as much of a use for Lorentz as they once did. Heading into the new season, many saw Lorentz as a key piece for the Maple Leafs fourth-line, but with the team hoping to get contributions from Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime and Colton Sissons among others, this was the move the organization believed was best.
Can the Maple Leafs Make the Post-Season in 2026/27?
Last year, Toronto couldn’t stay healthy and simply struggled for momentum, as the team finished close enough to the bottom of the league to get some lottery luck, landing McKenna a decade after the team selected Auston Matthews No. 1 overall.
However, with their changes, adding a top-six forward in Roslovic, a top-pairing D-man in Raddysh and a No. 1 goaltender in Bobrovksy, there’s renewed optimism in Toronto that this team can compete for a post-season spot, even in the toughest division in the National Hockey League. Like a year ago, the team will rely on their depth, but with a good blend of youth and experience in their lineup, this squad once again has the balance to be a good team under new Head Coach Jim Hiller.
Ultimately, nothing is guaranteed in the NHL, and if the team sustain some injuries to key positions, absolutely anything could happen, but even after waiving Lorentz, this is an organization that believes they can make some noise in 2026/27.
Maple Leafs Set to Place Six-Year NHL Forward on Waivers