Maple Leafs Lorentz Clearing Waivers Could Be Good News

Sometimes getting through waivers is actually good news. That's where Steven Lorentz finds himself with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lorentz was one of eight Maple Leafs placed on waivers Thursday. And now all eight have cleared.

So, Lorentz is headed to the Toronto Marlies. At first glance, that doesn't sound like much fun. A player who probably thought he had a pretty good chance of starting the season in Toronto is now going to be playing in the AHL.

But here's the thing. I'm not sure this is necessarily bad news for Lorentz. In fact, there are three reasons why clearing waivers could actually work out pretty well for him.

First, because nobody took him, Lorentz stays in Toronto.

Lorentz has an NHL contract through 2027-28 at $1.35 million a year. Another team could have grabbed him without giving Toronto anything in return. Nobody did. So Toronto still has him. And he physically doesn’t have to relocate. A simple thing, maybe; but one less thing to think about.

And that means the Maple Leafs haven't closed the door on him. He's still part of the organization, and if somebody gets hurt or the lineup needs a different kind of player, Lorentz is sitting there. That's pretty valuable.

Second, Lorentz gets a chance to play.

This might be the biggest thing. Sitting in the press box in Toronto won't help Lorentz much. Playing big minutes in Toronto with the Marlies might. He can go down there, play his game, get his legs going and remind everybody why the Maple Leafs signed him in the first place.

He's a 30-year-old who has played 71 NHL games in a season. He knows what NHL hockey looks like. He's not starting over. He's trying to get back in.

And third, Lorentz seems to understand exactly what's happening.

This is the part I like best. Lorentz recently talked about advice he got from Rod Brind'Amour in Carolina: never come into camp assuming you're on the team. You have to earn your job.

That's pretty much the Maple Leafs' message right now. Nothing is guaranteed. Not your contract. Not what you did last season. You earn your spot.

Lorentz didn't win that battle this time. Zack MacEwen apparently did. Fair enough. But the season hasn't started yet. The Maple Leafs will have injuries. They'll have players who don't play well. They're going to need different combinations.

Maybe clearing waivers isn't the end of Lorentz’s Maple Leafs story.

And when that happens, Steven Lorentz will be sitting there. Maybe it's the beginning of another chapter. I wouldn't count him out quite yet.