The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Wednesday that they have re-signed RFA forward Alex Steeves to a one-year, two-way contract. The contract is worth $775,000 at the NHL level, which is the league minimum for the 2024-25 season.
Our 10th-ranked prospect on TLN’s Maple Leafs Prospect Rankings has long been an intriguing player in the system as someone who has already had a few cups of coffee in the NHL, while being dominant in the AHL since joining the organization in 2021. Steeves is coming off his best season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies where he produced 57 points (27 goals and 30 assists) in 65 games played, which was good enough for third on the team behind Joseph Blandisi and Logan Shaw.
Steeves played one game with the Leafs in 2023-24 where he went scoreless. Across seven NHL games over the past three seasons, Steeves has recorded an assist. With 154 points in 188 career AHL games, Steeves has remained a consistent offensive producer for the Marlies.
There has been a question of what the future holds for Steeves given the fact he has not received an extended stay in the NHL so far, but this extension erases any doubts about where he stands in the organization. If anything, this confirms that he will have a place in their plans to potentially get a proper chance to prove himself and it’s there for the taking given the Nick Robertson saga continues to drag on.
Speaking of which, he is the last RFA for the Leafs to deal with and that one won’t be easy given he has no intentions of inking an extension and has requested a trade. Steeves isn’t the prototypical fourth-line player but he could be a useful middle-six winger with a scoring touch, so he could be in the driver’s seat as an internal replacement for Robertson should he refuse to budge on his request.
Regardless of where he begins next season, Steeves will remain a key depth piece for the Leafs and one that could be in the running for a longer look in the best league in the world. At the very least, this extension reaffirms their belief and commitment to his development.
