The Toronto Maple Leafs have bolstered their forward depth for the 2024-25 season by finalizing a one-year, two-way contract with restricted free agent Alex Steeves. He will earn $775,000 at the NHL level.
Steeves, 24, was originally signed by the Maple Leafs as an unrestricted free agent in 2021. Last season, he played primarily with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, where he notched 27 goals and 57 points in 65 games. He also had a brief stint in the NHL, appearing in one game against the St. Louis Blues on February 12, where he logged just over 10 minutes and saw some action on the second power-play unit.
After a strong start to the 2024 AHL season, Steeves was selected for the AHL All-Star Game. Since joining the Maple Leafs from the University of Notre Dame, he has played in seven NHL games and registered one assist.
The Bedford, New Hampshire native has been highly productive in the AHL, accumulating 154 points, including 69 goals, over 188 regular season games. Additionally, he has contributed five points in 10 Calder Cup Playoff games.
🖊 We’ve re-signed forward Alex Steeves to a one-year, two-way contract
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) August 21, 2024
Recently, Steeves was ranked as the #10 prospect for the Maple Leafs by The Leafs Nation, with Daily Faceoff’s prospect analyst Steven Ellis noting that Steeves needs to prove himself during training camp. Ellis highlighted that while Steeves has more skill than players like Ryan Reaves or Connor Dewar and has performed better in the AHL than Pontus Holmberg, he must improve in areas like backchecking and defensive zone play to secure a spot.
Steeves will be vying for a fourth-line position with the Maple Leafs during training camp, and a strong preseason performance could lead to an NHL call-up next season.
With Steeves signed, the Maple Leafs still need to address contracts for two remaining restricted free agents: Nick Robertson and AHL player Semyon Der-Arguchintsev.
