Leafs Steven Lorentz drops blunt reply on having another Canadian team from East make the playoffs

Steven Lorentz and the Toronto Maple Leafs are getting ready to host the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena.

Entering tonight's action, both Toronto and Montreal occupy playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs (100 points) lead the Atlantic Division and have already punched their ticket to the postseason, while the Canadiens (87 points) are closing in on locking down the final wildcard spot in the East.

It could be the first time that all three Canadian teams in the Eastern Conference (Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal) make the playoffs since the 2016-17 campaign. However, the Maple Leafs aren't too interested in providing their bitter rivals any help on Saturday night.

Lorentz was asked during his pregame media availability about the idea of seeing another Canadian team, like Montreal, make the playoffs in their conference. Leafslatest on X (formerly Twitter) shared his response on Saturday.

"I know people want to see another Canadian team in the playoffs, but we don’t care about another Canadian team in the playoffs," Lorentz said. "We care about our team, and that’s it… It’s our job to not let that happen."

Steven Lorentz is a pending UFA on a one-year, $775,000 deal with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, signed last offseason. Both parties should be interested in an extension this summer to keep the 28-year-old in the fold for the next several years.

Steven Lorentz has filled in nicely on the Maple Leafs' fourth line

Steven Lorentz has far exceeded his league minimum contract with Toronto.

The Kitchener, Ontario, native has thrived in a fourth-line role for his childhood team, producing 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 76 games. He's just two points shy of matching his career high of 19 points from the 2022-23 season with the San Jose Sharks.

He's also been a physical force, having delivered 192 hits, blowing by his previous high of 133 hits from that same 2022-23 season. Leafs coach Craig Berube has loved what Steven Lorentz brings to the table, and he'll be expected to bring even more intensity come playoff time.

For now, Lorentz and the Maple Leafs will look to spoil Montreal's playoff pursuit when they host the Canadiens on Saturday night. The puck drops at 7 p.m. EST at Scotiabank Arena.