Maple Leafs Waive Alex Steeves and Make More Cuts as NHL's Regular Season Approaches

   

Steeves is the second player the team has placed on waivers — along with Abruzzese — since they began trimming down the roster.

Maple Leafs place former NCAA standout Alex Steeves on waivers

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made more cuts ahead of their regular season opener in Montreal on Oct. 9.

After their practice on Friday, Toronto announced they'd be placing Alex Steeves on waivers to send him down to the AHL's Toronto Marlies. The 24-year-old forward was among 15 players cut from Maple Leafs' training camp ahead of their final pre-season game on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.

Steeves had one goal in two pre-season games with Toronto.

Among the other cuts are Nikita Grebenkin, Alex Nylander, Jacob Quillan, Marlies captain Logan Shaw, Joseph Blandisi, Cedric Pare, Roni Hirvonen, Ryan Tverberg, Mikko Kokkonen, Nicolas Mattinen, Topi Niemela, Matteo Pietroniro, Cade Webber, and Artur Akhtyamov.

The team waived Nick Abruzzese on Thursday as the team made the first round of cuts.

Grebenkin was both a fan-favourite and a player who stood out to Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube during Toronto's NHL camp. The 21-year-old Russian also impressed him during the team's bonding trip in Muskoka earlier this week.

"Grebenkin is one funny guy. He's quite a character, this kid," Berube said in Muskoka on Wednesday. "He's got a real bright future in this league."

Easton Cowan wasn't present for practice on Friday, and as of right now, isn't one of the players cut from the team.

The players cut were listed on the Marlies' training camp roster as they prepare for their home opener against the San Diego Gulls, the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, on Oct. 12.

The Marlies will play two pre-season games at the CAA Centre in Belleville, against the Laval Rocket on Oct. 5 and the Belleville Senators on Oct. 6.