The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Monday afternoon that they have re-signed Steven Lorentz to a three-year deal, with an AAV of $1.35 million.

On Daily Faceoff’s list of this year’s top 75 UFAs, Lorentz came in at 55th, joining Mitch Marner and Max Pacioretty on the list.

Through his first season in Toronto, Lorentz scored eight goals and finished with 19 points, playing an almost complete 80-game season as the team suffered injuries up and down their roster. He also brought much-needed physicality to Toronto’s bottom six, finishing second on the Leafs with 199 hits, while taking 73 in return and blocking 55 shots. At 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, he brought the kind of size NHL teams are chasing right now, especially in Toronto where they’re looking to become a tougher team to play in the postseason. While Lorentz only registered two points in the playoffs this year, he threw 42 hits and took 33.

He was also one of the feel good stories of the 2024-25 season. After he scored his first goal in the blue and white sweater, a photo went viral of his high school yearbook stating his aspiration to one day play with the Toronto Maple Leafs. That paired with a photo of him as a young kid in Leafs’ pyjamas made the Kitchener native an instant fan favourite.

Lorentz gets a slight raise from his last contract, but he indicated last year that he took a smaller contract to play for his hometown team, and it’s entirely possible he did the same here when presented with the option to represent his hometown team. Given his size, consistency, and low cost, Treliving is smart to take a crack at re-signing him on Monday before he hits the open waters in tomorrow’s Free Agent Frenzy.