Maple Leafs officially announce new contract for RFA forward

As we watch the days of the calendar fall away, with August soon giving away to September, NHL training camps are officially in sight. For the Maple Leafs, this means tying up as many loose ends as possible over the next month.

To that end, the Maple Leafs have accomplished an important piece of business on Wednesday, inking center Alex Steeves to a 1-year contract worth the league minimum $775,000. There is a catch for Steeves, however, as the deal is a two-way pact that will see him earn significantly less should he fail to make the Maple Leafs out of training camp, landing back in the American Hockey League.

Steeves was a standout for the Marlies last season, recording 27 goals and 57 points across 65 games. His 27 goals tied him for the 2nd most on the team, behind only captain Logan Shaw, who tallied 30 goals in 68 games in 2023-24.

This truly does feel like a "last chance" scenario for Steeves, who is entering his 4th season with the organization. At 24 years old, he's approaching that "do or die" stage that some young players face in their careers when they haven't been able to secure a full-time NHL job by age 25. Steeves turns 25 this December.

The one thing playing in Steeves' favour is that the Leafs have question marks down the middle, so if Steeves, a natural center, can show up to training camp in good shape, with a good attitude, and seize the opportunity in front of him, there's an outside chance that he could play a more significant role for the Maple Leafs than anyone originally expected this season.

Steeves has played just 7 NHL games in his career.

Source: Hockey DB
Alex Steeves stats and bio