The Toronto Maple Leafs have secured some forward depth for the 2024-25 season, coming to terms with restricted free-agent Alex Steeves on a one-year, two-way contract. He’ll earn $775,000 at the NHL level.
🖊 We’ve re-signed forward Alex Steeves to a one-year, two-way contract
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) August 21, 2024
Steeves, 24, was originally a free-agent signing of the Maple Leafs back in 2021. He spent the majority of the 2023-24 season with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies, registering 27 goals and 57 points in 65 AHL games. He’d appear in one NHL game with the Maple Leafs, Feb.12 against the St Louis Blues where he played just over 10 minutes and saw some time on the second power-play unit.
Steeves was named to the 2024 AHL All-Star Game after his strong start to the season. Since signing with the Maple Leafs three years ago out of the University of Notre Dame, Steeves has dressed in seven NHL games, recording one assist.
The Bedford, New Hampshire native has been a very productive player at the AHL level throughout his professional career, tallying 154 points, including 69 goals, in 188 regular season games. Steeves has also chipped in with five points in 10 Calder Cup Playoff games.
Steeves was recently ranked #10 Maple Leafs prospect by The Leafs Nation and Daily Faceoff’s prospect analyst, Steven Ellis had this to stay on expectations for the 24-year-old heading into next season. “When training camp comes around, he needs to make himself expendable. His role in the NHL will be drastically different from what he has been doing in the NHL, so proving himself is crucial. He’s got much more skill than Ryan Reaves or Connor Dewar and has been a better AHLer than Pontus Holmberg ever was. But the difference was that they all understand their roles quite well and do things like backchecking, hitting or taking space away in the defensive zone better than Steeves.”
Steeves will look to compete for a fourth-line role on the Maple Leafs at training camp and with a strong impression in preseason action, could earn himself a callup at some point next season.“When training camp comes around, he needs to make himself expendable. His role in the NHL will be drastically different from what he has been doing in the NHL, so proving himself is crucial. He’s got much more skill than Ryan Reaves or Connor Dewar and has been a better AHLer than Pontus Holmberg ever was. But the difference was that they all understand their roles quite well and do things like backchecking, hitting or taking space away in the defensive zone better than Steeves.”
Steeves will look to compete for a fourth-line role on the Maple Leafs at training camp and with a strong impression in preseason action, could earn himself a callup at some point next season.
With Steeves signed, the Maple Leafs have two restricted free-agents left to sign, including Nick Robertson and AHLer Semyon Der-Arguchintsev.
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