Lost in the series of more interesting moves over the past week is that the Toronto Maple Leafs qualified restricted free agent Alex Steeves. And now as the deadline approaches on July 5th for players to decide whether or not to proceed with salary arbitration and Steeves can elect to go that route, it seems worth discussing his future with the Maple Leafs.
When it comes to arbitration and Alex Steeves, he won’t cost much but he’ll earn a lot more than he has so far. Steeves has been on a contract with a $775k AAV, which is likely what it would be going forward as well. The big push for Steeves is that he’ll want that on a one-way deal. Steeves has been making $80k a year for the Marlies for the past three seasons, not a bad gig, but save for when he’s been called up to the Leafs’ roster and paid at the daily rate linked to his $775k NHL contract, he hasn’t made as much as he’d hope for. Arbitration for a one-way deal is a small ask and even if the Leafs won’t meet there is the potential for a better two-way deal. The impact on the salary cap is non-existent and for Steeves, it’s in his best interest to sign at a number that will get him playing time in the NHL.
That brings us to whether or not Alex Steeves could be a factor at the NHL level. The results so far point to him being worth a look. As a 27-goal, 57-point scorer on the Marlies last season following a 51-point season the year prior, and 46 points in his AHL rookie season, Steeves is showing that he can produce at the AHL level, not that it would be a requirement for his role in the NHL. Steeves has also demonstrated a two-way game that would add value to the Maple Leafs’ bottom six, despite only getting 10 minutes of ice time with the Leafs last season, Steeves landed six hits, a sign that he understands the assignment that comes with being depth and will play a different role than the one he has in the AHL to add value. While not having Bobby McMann’s size, Steeves has the makings of a 13th forward who can slot into multiple situations. The reality is Steeves isn’t necessarily there yet and next season is more about getting the bubble player call-up opportunities now that Nick Robertson and Bobby McMann have graduated to full-time NHL gigs.
Steeves is a bit of a safety net for the Maple Leafs. If things go well with Cowan and Minten, he’s not required. Nor will he be required if Jacob Quillan, Nikita Grebyonkin, Ryan Tverberg, or Roni Hirvonen demonstrate they can take a step forward. Right now in a sea of question marks, Steeves looks like a player who can log NHL 4th-line minutes until Toronto finds a better option and that’s not a bad place for him to be, especially since he hasn’t been seen at the NHL level and there is hope of getting something extra out of him.
Last season the Leafs used 17 forwards with 6 forwards that managed to play 80+ games each. 74 games were played by forwards below the 13th spot on the team’s depth chart. Presently the Leafs are sitting at 11 signed NHL forwards, with two pending RFAs (Dewar and Robertson), with Reaves not being an everyday player there is plenty of opportunity for Steeves to carve out an NHL role.
