Former Panthers tossing friendships ‘out the window’ for Maple Leafs in East 2nd Round

TORONTO -- On June 30 of last year, Steven Lorentz, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Anthony Stolarz joined fellow Florida Panthers like Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk to party on Fort Lauderdale Beach as part of their Stanley Cup parade.

One day later, they were no longer teammates.

What a difference 24 hours makes.

“It’s crazy,” Lorentz said Saturday. “We went through so much with those guys. You’re on the high of highs. You’re hoisting the Cup together, drinking out of it.

“And then, the next day, July 1, you’re a free agent and no longer a part of the team.”

The same Panthers team that Lorentz, Ekman-Larsson and Stolarz, now members of the Toronto Maple Leafs, are preparing to face in the Eastern Conference Second Round beginning with Game 1 of the best-of-7 series at Scotiabank Arena on Monday (8 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, TVAS, ESPN).

“Here’s the thing,” Lorentz said. “Sam and I are still friends. But I know once the puck is dropped, he’s going to try to take my head off.

“We know how that team plays. We know what they bring to the table.”

So much so that Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube already has picked the brains of the three former Panthers as part of his pre-scout research for the series.

“Yeah, I’ve had discussions with them,” Berube said, breaking into a wry grin. “There are things you might not know. Or more mindset stuff for me, with those guys being in the locker room and being around the organization.”

Ekman-Larsson was the first of the three to join the Maple Leafs, signing a four-year contract with an average annual value of $3.5 million just one day after the Panthers parade. On July 2, it was Stolarz’s turn to join Toronto, signing a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.5 million.

Lorentz attended Maple Leafs training camp on a professional tryout agreement and subsequently signed a one-year, $775,000 contract on Oct. 7.

“We’ll always be part of that special journey, even after we retire,” Lorentz said. “But right now, obviously, friendships go out the window. That’s the competitive side here. Obviously when you’re trying to chase that Cup down, you are doing whatever you can, whatever it takes -- it doesn’t matter if that’s your buddy on the other side.

“I know they’ve had some ups and downs this year, and it’s tough when you’ve made back-to-back runs to the Final and play into June every year; it’s obviously such a grind. But I tip my cap to them that they’re still in the position they’re in, because I think they’ve done a great job, top to bottom.”

Ekman-Larsson said he’ll have no issues putting fond memories of his former team on hold once the puck is dropped.

“When you’re on the ice, you don’t look at it that way,” he said when asked about the sentimentality of facing the Panthers. “You want to battle for the team you’ve been battling with all year, and that’s what I’m looking forward to do.”

Of course, Berube isn’t the only one trying to get inside intel on this series, no matter how much background the three former Panthers can provide.

On Florida’s side, forward Matthew Tkachuk told “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday that he’s going to pick brother Brady Tkachuk’s brain on all things Maple Leafs. Brady and the Senators were eliminated in six games by Toronto in the first round.

“I’ll give him a call and ask him, you know, what he saw throughout the series, little things,” Matthew told the program. “And then, honestly, I’ll ask a lot about individuals, like, what guys, what you can exploit with some guys, what guys maybe get a little too riled up? What guys you can get off their game, what guys are looking like they’re playing through stuff, or look a little injured, like it’s all the little stuff that I’ll ask him.

“And, you know, it’s playoffs -- you [try] every advantage you can get, and it’s nice. It’s nice having, you know, my brother that has just played them. He’ll give me the honest truth.”

When it comes to getting the honest truth about what Matthew and fellow disturber Sam Bennett bring to the table, Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev, who played with each with the Calgary Flames in 2020-21, is a go-to source.

“We just played a guy in Brady in the first round who lives in the blue paint,” Tanev said. “So, I mean, it’s going to be a lot of the same with those guys.

“I mean, having to deal with him is going to be like having to deal with those guys.”

Those aren’t the only connections between the Panthers and the Maple Leafs.

Toronto general manager Brad Treliving, for example, traded Bennett and Tkachuk to the Panthers in 2022 while he was still Calgary's GM.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice coached the Maple Leafs from 2006-08.

“There are a lot of connections, so I don’t think there’s a lot of secrets between these teams,” Lorentz summed up. “Only fierce determination to beat each other."