Brad Treliving's PTO Signings Paying Off at the Perfect Time for the Maple Leafs

Looking at the Maple Leafs now, things are going pretty well.

A 2-0 series lead against the reigning champion Florida Panthers has everyone feeling pretty good even if they are feeling a bit nervous.

A revamped team, great offseason and trade acquisitions, and a brand new head coach seems to be the recipe for success, but there are a couple of signings that should be given more credit.

Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz both signed PTO deals in September as the team looked to shore up their bottom six and bring in a veteran presence to the team, but they've done so much more.

Pacioretty has six points in three playoff games after only scoring 13 points in 35 games meanwhile Lorentz is the team's best physical forward and has a knack for getting a few points here and there as well.

Considering that both men were overlooked and needed to sign a tryout, their performance has been outstanding and a huge reason for Toronto's success this season.

Kudos to Brad Treliving for not only finding these guys, but taking a chance on them.

In the case of Lorentz, it wouldn't be surprising to see him find a place on a roster somewhere, but for Pacioretty; who has dealt with some serious career-threatening injuries, it was a pretty big gamble.

Toronto already had Jani Hakanpaa signed and we all know how that turned out, so there were more concerns of the team adding an oft-injured player.

In the regular season, Pacioretty did struggle with three separate injury stints.

But he's shown to be healthy now and his presence is undeniable. At 36 years old he's changed his game to be a more physical player, and his added 34 hits this postseason shows just how impactful he can be.

Since being put on the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander, Pacioretty has been able to regain a bit of his former self at least offensively, and he's been a clutch player at several different times.

While Lorentz probably has a few more years at least left in the tank, Pacioretty is in the twilight of his career. One more injury could be the end of all things.

But for now, Toronto can reap the benefits of a newly focused and seemingly healthy Pacioretty.

Brad Treliving deserves a lot of credit for the signings, but both players should be given their flowers for how much they've helped the team even if they don't always get the acknowledgement.