Leafs winger Steven Lorentz is getting an unexpected promotion.

A staple on the fourth line most of the year, Lorentz will start beside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on the top line on Tuesday night when Toronto hosts the Dallas Stars.

"Sometimes when you put a worker with two skilled players like that, just a guy that's going to be a meat-and-potatoes guy, go to the net, hound pucks, create loose puck battles for these guys, sometimes they need that," Leafs coach Craig Berube explained. "Just to try and help them a little bit and just try and create some energy on that line. That's why I did it."

Lorentz has just one goal in the past 30 games and admitted to being surprised when he initially saw the line assignment.

"I'm not trying go overcomplicate things," the 28-year-old from Kitchener, Ont. said. "I know I don't have the abilities that those guys do at their level, but I also bring something to the table that I think can work well with those two."

"Keep it simple," Berube instructed. "That's what I say to him. He doesn't need to change his game. He just needs to do what he does and Matthews and Marner, they'll do what they do."

It's been a quiet couple of games for Toronto's dynamic duo. Matthews and Marner were both minus-six during a 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. The top line was on the ice for the Vancouver Canucks opening goal in Saturday's 3-0 loss.

Stars coach Peter DeBoer thinks the shake up is a smart move by Berube.

"I don't think it hurts the big players to get some of that, some of that directness in their game and physicality," DeBoer said. "We do that once in a while here too. A lot of times it sparks your big guys."

Lorentz noted that he got some shifts with Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho as an injury replacement during his two seasons with the Hurricanes (2020-22).

"They're just easy guys to play with," Lorentz recalled. "As good as they are, as world-class talent as they have, they're hard workers too. So, as long you're working hard and the three of you are at least somewhat on the same page, and your mindset is similar, then good things will happen."

Lorentz, who attended Toronto's training camp on a pro tryout before earning a contract, is living a dream by playing for the team he grew up cheering for. His passion for the Leafs was sparked by watching games with his dad.

What does his dad think about his son's new........

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